detonate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Alternatively, specialized ships or aircraft mimic the magnetic fields, pressure or noise created by a passing ship to detonate the mines before they can do any harm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Commander Fox explains that mines generally fall into two categories: contact mines, which detonate when struck, and influence mines, which explode when sensors detect changes in sound, pressure or magnetism.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

"We move carefully and extremely slowly so that the mine does not detonate," Vitalii says, describing the painstakingly slow process of demining.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Proximity fuses are designed to detonate in the air when they are a certain distance from a target, experts say.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2025

Some of the mortar safety pins, which kept the priming mechanism from allowing the round to detonate on impact, had not been replaced.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge