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

He also spent time with the British charity during a visit to Angola in 2019 when he walked through a partially-cleared minefield and set off a controlled explosion.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2025

A cordon was put in place and the device was destroyed in a controlled explosion shortly after 18:00.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2025

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