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.
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An attempt to detonate or diffuse the bomb failed, so Officer Brian Murray and three others were lowered into the crater.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
He said residents in towns south of Tyre left after hearing reports in the Lebanese media that Israel might detonate nearby.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
According to the leaked file reviewed by The Times, the LAPD’s internal investigators found Hogg made a “gross underestimation” of the explosive weight of the fireworks that police intended to detonate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026
Molniyas can either detonate their own payload or carry two or three small FPVs, extending their range.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025
My water powers would protect us both, and we’d detonate the charges from a quarter mile away.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
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When roughly a mile from its target, it uses artificial intelligence to lock onto the target and detonates nearby, according to its users.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
In these events, an incoming object such as a comet detonates above the ground, releasing intense heat and shockwaves that reach Earth's surface.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 19, 2025
If Wilder detonates early and finishes Herndon quicker than Torrez did, expect someone somewhere to shout: "He's back!"
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2025
He detonates narrative warfare wherever he goes, so it’s difficult to decipher what is planted to create spectacle to feed the mangy cult and what is a true trash fire of a human.
From Salon ● Mar. 12, 2024
Halftime Right after you glance at April waving from the bleachers, your stomach detonates: KABOOM! and you lose it right there behind the bench in Pernell’s gym bag.
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
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Questions about safety, data provenance, copyright and geopolitical risk arrived only after the model had already detonated across the market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
In June 1981, before becoming president, he survived a bombing claimed by the Mujahedin-e Khalq group, when an explosive device concealed in a tape recorder detonated during a speech.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
The Apache was scanning the night sky for Iranian threats to commercial ships below shortly after 1 a.m. local time on Tuesday when the drone detonated directly in front of it, U.S. officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Councillor Sally Haydon, cabinet member for community safety, said 450 tonnes of sand had been transported to the site to place around the bomb before it was detonated.
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
Why there was a garden hose on the roof, Frank wasn’t sure, but every time the giants sent up a cannonball, Percy summoned a high-powered blast of water and detonated the sphere in midair.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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In 2024, Los Angeles paid $21 million to resolve claims stemming from an incident three years prior where city police blew up a South L.A. neighborhood while detonating a cache of fireworks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
After safely detonating the device at another location, the police informed Ewan that the device was a practice bomb used to send flare signals 20,000 ft in the air.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
The drone, designed by Perennial Autonomy, a company backed by former Google CEO and billionaire Eric Schmidt using Ukrainian engineers, destroys other drones by detonating close by and has proven popular in Ukraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
If your goal is to save money on taxes, detonating the tax torpedo is not ideal.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
Twenty minutes of laser engagement and detonating battle shuttles later, she’s fast asleep.
From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson
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Vocabulary lists containing detonate
A Separate Peace
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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All the Light We Cannot See
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