explode
Americanverb (used without object)
-
explodes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exploded,
past participle, past
-
exploding
present participle
-
to expand with force and noise because of rapid chemical change or decomposition, as gunpowder or nitroglycerine (opposed to implode).
-
to burst, fly into pieces, or break up violently with a loud report, as a boiler from excessive pressure of steam.
-
to burst forth violently or emotionally, especially with noise, laughter, violent speech, etc..
He exploded with rage when contradicted.
-
Phonetics. (of plosives) to terminate the occlusive phase with a plosion.
-
Golf. to play an explosion shot on a golf ball.
verb (used with object)
-
explodes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exploded,
past participle, past
-
exploding
present participle
-
to cause (gunpowder, a boiler, etc.) to explode.
-
to cause to be rejected; destroy the repute of; discredit or disprove.
to explode a theory.
-
Phonetics. to end with plosion.
-
Golf. to play an explosion shot on (a golf ball).
-
Obsolete. to drive (a player, play, etc.) from the stage by loud expressions of disapprobation.
verb
-
to burst or cause to burst with great violence as a result of internal pressure, esp through the detonation of an explosive; blow up
-
to destroy or be destroyed in this manner
to explode a bridge
-
(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
-
(intr) to react suddenly or violently with emotion, etc
to explode with anger
-
(intr) (esp of a population) to increase rapidly
-
(tr) to show (a theory, etc) to be baseless; refute and make obsolete
-
(tr) phonetics to pronounce (a stop) with audible plosion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
explodesimple
-
explodessimple
-
have explodedperfect
-
has explodedperfect
-
am explodingprogressive
-
are explodingprogressive
-
is explodingprogressive
-
have been explodingperfect progressive
-
has been explodingperfect progressive
Past
-
explodedsimple
-
had explodedperfect
-
was explodingprogressive
-
were explodingprogressive
-
had been explodingperfect progressive
Future
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” ( cf. applaud)
Explanation
Anything and anyone can explode — that is, produce a violent, sudden and usually very loud release of energy. Explode's two most common meanings refer to a physically destructive act, most commonly a bomb going off, or metaphorically, as in your parents' sudden fury when they see your end-of-year grades. Originally explode meant something quite different — to drive an unpleasing actor or group of performers from the stage by clapping and booing. (From the Latin words ex, meaning "out," and plaudere, "to clap one's hands.") Those ancient Greek and Roman crowds were tough.
Vocabulary lists containing explode
Brown Girl Dreaming
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Raymond's Run"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Analysis of Baseball" and "Singing and Stretching"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The news comes at a time when the buzzword “longevity” has become synonymous with wellness, and as the U.S. centenarian population is expected to explode over the next few decades.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
"We never expected that a cell could just explode like a bomb and kill the cells surrounding it," said senior author Bo Wang, associate professor of bioengineering in the schools of Engineering and Medicine.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
If tunnelling releases it into a confined space and it comes into contact with a spark or another ignition source, it can ignite or explode, a government official said.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Upon impact, the balloons explode, drenching both mom and son.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Matilda felt herself getting angrier...and angrier...and angrier...so unbearably angry that something was bound to explode inside her very soon.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
When a massive star explodes as a supernova, for example, the blast can launch the stellar remnant in one direction at high speed.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
“You don’t want an air bag that explodes, and you don’t want an air bag that under-inflates,” he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Both companies are major manufacturers of semiconductors and computer hardware, and earnings for those companies have skyrocketed as demand for memory chips explodes.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026
“The population really explodes in those kinds of situations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
I hear you humming to Kutti, holding him close in your comforting arms as a firework explodes on Divali night.
From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman
Alphabet’s purchase commitments and contractual obligations have exploded and stood at $811 billion as of June 30.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
As home prices exploded over the last few years, so have home values — and, in turn, property-tax bills.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
Wind-driven flames and dry hydrants drew engines from across the region, leaving first responders stretched thin when the Eaton fire exploded above Altadena hours later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
A mum says she feels "guilty" for buying a fake squishy toy that exploded in her son's face, resulting in him needing hospital treatment.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
“That means we also don’t have to tell them that they accidentally exploded in an alternate timeline.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
“I aggressively defend the status quo, and I’m fine with exploding rents and mass displacement.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Telecom companies assumed internet traffic would continue exploding, so they raced to build nationwide and transoceanic fiber networks before the customers and revenue were there.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Stanford researchers have identified a previously unknown immune cell that destroys nearby cells by exploding.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
Blasts, initially thought to be exploding gas cylinders, may have been World War Two explosives detonated by the heat of the fires, the local fire commander told local media.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
I turn my laptop to shield my face that’s exploding in unnamed emotions, each one rearing itself and layering on top of the others before I can express it.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
