explodes

verb

present tense third-person singular of explode
1
as in detonates
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the building was wrecked when a powerful bomb exploded

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2
as in shatters
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive the bomb was so powerful that it exploded windows in several neighboring buildings

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in erupts
to develop suddenly and violently the mayor's latest unpopular decision caused long-suppressed resentment to explode into open anger

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 explodes When the gang war that’s been building all along between the Greasers and the Socs finally explodes in the second act, the violence is conveyed through movement, lighting, sound and just all around scenic brilliance. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Continue reading … ‘NEVER-ENDING’ — Huge number of noncitizens found on voter rolls as Mike Lee explodes on 'honor system'. — FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Once the mook is within blasting range, Reacher explodes the tank with a bullet — making both the man and the floor as holey as Swiss cheese. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 Control Resonant, the sequel, takes most of that game’s gorgeous visual language and explodes it all over an open-world New York City, to mesmerizing results. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026 Directed by Venice prize-winner John Swab, Copperhead‘s plot is thrust into motion when an undercover drug deal explodes into violence. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026 That explodes into action in one startlingly seedy scene involving a rape in full view of revelers at a hotel party. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026 The truck eventually explodes, seemingly incinerating the T-1000. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 Whenever something or someone explodes in popularity seemingly overnight, psyop accusations tend to follow. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explodes
  1. detonates
  2. shatters
  3. erupts
  4. pops
  5. smashes
  6. blows
  7. demolishes
  8. destroys
Verb
  • The missile, called a PrSM—for precision-strike missile—detonates midair and spreads thousands of small tungsten fragments in all directions.
    — Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Then Chernov detonates an atomic bomb over the Black Sea as a show of force.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of detonates
Verb
  • When a severe heatwave shatters her family’s fragile routine and exposes her father’s dementia, Anna’s world is thrown into uncertainty.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
  • After the cannon booms shatters these boxes, the ensemble tumbles together in a finale worthy of Tchaikovsky.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of shatters
Verb
  • Cockpit fight erupts The reason for the emergency soon became clearer.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • During surveillance, Joe recognizes one of the men involved in her abduction, setting off an operation that erupts into a deadly restaurant shootout.
    — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of erupts
Verb
  • In Robin’s imagination, the moon grows large and then pops like a ballon, leaving Robin and readers alike in awe of the world’s small moments of magic.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Birdbuddy abandoned the long skinny Nature Cam for a circular camera that pops in magnetically.
    — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of pops
Verb
  • His acumen for promotion, particularly in international markets, helped the commercial success of box office smashes such as Saturday Night Fever and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The bamboo smashes into bone and the scene in my mind bursts into a million white pieces.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of smashes
Verb
  • Policymakers' ignorance of oil market mechanics becomes clear only when geopolitics enters the picture and blows it all to hell, either figuratively or literally.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The exhaust port blows to the rear to allow for quick cleaning of leaves and grass clippings.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.
    — Utkarsh Sood June 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2026
  • The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Definition of demolishes
Verb
  • Jains typically do not eat root vegetables because harvesting them destroys the whole plant and harms life-forms around it.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026
  • How IonQ cracked error correction Since making measurements of a qubit destroys its quantum state, researchers can only gather information about their syndromes to know if the qubit has accumulated an error or not.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of destroys

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exploded
explodes
exploding
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Cite this Entry

“Explodes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explodes. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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