explode
Americanverb (used without object)
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to expand with force and noise because of rapid chemical change or decomposition, as gunpowder or nitroglycerine (implode ).
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to burst, fly into pieces, or break up violently with a loud report, as a boiler from excessive pressure of steam.
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to burst forth violently or emotionally, especially with noise, laughter, violent speech, etc..
He exploded with rage when contradicted.
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Phonetics. (of plosives) to terminate the occlusive phase with a plosion.
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Golf. to play an explosion shot on a golf ball.
verb (used with object)
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to cause (gunpowder, a boiler, etc.) to explode.
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to cause to be rejected; destroy the repute of; discredit or disprove.
to explode a theory.
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Phonetics. to end with plosion.
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Golf. to play an explosion shot on (a golf ball).
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Obsolete. to drive (a player, play, etc.) from the stage by loud expressions of disapprobation.
verb
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to burst or cause to burst with great violence as a result of internal pressure, esp through the detonation of an explosive; blow up
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to destroy or be destroyed in this manner
to explode a bridge
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(of a gas) to undergo or cause (a gas) to undergo a sudden violent expansion, accompanied by heat, light, a shock wave, and a loud noise, as a result of a fast uncontrolled exothermic chemical or nuclear reaction
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(intr) to react suddenly or violently with emotion, etc
to explode with anger
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(intr) (esp of a population) to increase rapidly
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(tr) to show (a theory, etc) to be baseless; refute and make obsolete
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(tr) phonetics to pronounce (a stop) with audible plosion
Other Word Forms
- exploder noun
- preexplode verb
- unexploded adjective
Etymology
Origin of explode
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin explōdere “to drive off by clapping, drive away,” from ex- ex- 1 + -plōdere, variant stem of plaudere “to clap” ( applaud )
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.
As AI falsehoods explode across social media, often outpacing the capacity of professional fact-checkers, bogus detectors risk adding another layer of deception to an already fractured information ecosystem.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
If the United States wins the WBC championship Tuesday, when no outcome besides victory would have been satisfactory, the team will explode in celebration.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
Heavy elements such as gold and platinum are forged under extraordinary conditions, including when stars collapse, explode, or collide.
From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026
"The attention he desperately wanted on 1 January is only achieved by the fact that someone believed that object could explode," she said.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
Now he couldn’t help but wonder who exactly was on the other side of his trades—what madman would be selling him so much insurance on bonds he had handpicked to explode?
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
