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controlled explosion

British

noun

the deliberate detonation of an explosive device under strictly controlled circumstances

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

One critic called it “a controlled explosion of space.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

North Wales Police confirmed an explosives disposal team attended the school, removed the items and carried out a successful controlled explosion, with officers finding no wider safety issues.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2025

The countdown was met with the enthusiasm you'd expect for the first controlled explosion on Tyneside in more than a decade.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2024

The tragedy occurred when 650,000 gallons flooded the mine where the men were working after a controlled explosion to improve air circulation.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2024

A "controlled explosion" on a London film set sparked a fire that destroyed a van and damaged two other vehicles near the O2 arena.

From BBC • Aug. 31, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023