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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

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

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 Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit of the Army then destroyed the item in a controlled explosion at West Park in Long Eaton.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

Adrian Webster, 33, witnessed the controlled explosion during his evening walk through the park.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

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