DETONATES Synonyms: 21 Similar and Opposite Words

detonates

verb

present tense third-person singular of detonate

as in explodes

to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the bomb detonated with a thunder that could be heard for blocks in all directions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of detonates If the ammunition detonates after penetration, the explosion is directed away from the crew compartment, significantly improving the crew’s chances of survival. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026 After the pass comes to Bridges, who detonates passersby at the basket regularly, White goes straight up, though with a little more oomph than usual. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026 Advertisement Christine Adams Courtesy of Apple TV Lang gets off the train and, once at a safe distance, detonates the explosive. — Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Mar. 2026 But once in a rare while, the frame detonates into history. — Christopher Anderson, Vanity Fair, 27 Feb. 2026 During a trip to New York, an off-camera exchange detonates the conflict. — Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026 Gemma then detonates the device. — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026 Determined to finish the job, Dante detonates explosives on the dam itself. — EW.com, 24 Aug. 2025 Toussaint is killed in the penultimate episode after Shagan detonates a bomb on Saskia’s computer. — Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonates

Verb

The accusation rumbles, then explodes locally, drawing in authorities and prompting an investigation.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Most is in the form of subatomic particles called neutrinos, which carry little energy individually but are generated in vast numbers when a star explodes.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of explodes

Verb

But first, the premiere settles the audience into a tried and true cop drama with power struggles over jurisdiction, a local militia led by a man with his own agenda, and a suspect who literally blows the case wide open.

— Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
The next chance of showers and storms arrives Thursday and lingers through the end of the workweek as much muggier-feeling weather blows back into Maryland.

— Cutter Martin, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of blows

Browse Nearby Words

detonated

detonates

detonating

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Detonates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonates. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of detonates

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on detonates

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tilde

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes