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Definitions

detonate

[det-n-ayt] / ˈdɛt nˌeɪt /


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.

See Examples For:

But it was also a sign of an explosive problem for the industry that was about to detonate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Their explosive payloads did not detonate, and it’s entirely possible they were never meant to.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

"Pulling real users into generated photos without explicit consent is a privacy landmine waiting to detonate," one user wrote on X, external.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

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

Is it possible for a human head to detonate?

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

It detonates just as they get close, apparently shocking even Berezovska with its force.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

But every year, as wrapping paper detonates across the living room and a small mountain of objects emerges—some beloved, some baffling—I have the same unseasonal thought: This is wildly inefficient.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

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

No one detonates a room with honesty and irritation quite like Bill Burr, and his latest, “Drop Dead Years,” shows the comedian in his fully evolved form.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025

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

Engineers from Odin Energetics placed the explosive material on pedestals and remotely detonated them with an echoing bang, emitting a quick burst of flames followed by clouds of smoke.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

When munitions are detonated underwater, the blast can spread contaminants through the surrounding environment.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

"The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated."

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Instead, the round detonated prematurely at 453 meters, or about 1,486 feet, in the air, around 3,300 feet from its firing location, according to the report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026

She felt like she was back on the deck of the Argo II, holding the Boreads’ ice grenade just before it detonated.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

"It depends on the area where the wreck and munitions lie. Currents and seabed morphology play a major role. In some cases, detonating them can do more harm than good," she explains.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

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

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

And as for all that talk of detonating his arrows by hand, he’ll never get the chance.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins


Vocabulary lists containing detonate

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