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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.

An inital attempt to remove the device's detonator failed, French media reports, prompting authorities to destroy the historic munition in situ with a controlled explosion.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

Police said a controlled explosion was carried out at about 16:00 GMT on Thursday, with Derby City Council confirming accommodation had been arranged for affected residents for Thursday night "and the coming days".

From BBC • Dec. 5, 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

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