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 (opposed to 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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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explodesimple
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explodessimple
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have explodedperfect
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has explodedperfect
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am explodingprogressive
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are explodingprogressive
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is explodingprogressive
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have been explodingperfect progressive
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has been explodingperfect progressive
Past
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explodedsimple
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had explodedperfect
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was explodingprogressive
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were explodingprogressive
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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
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"Raymond's Run"
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"Analysis of Baseball" and "Singing and Stretching"
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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:
See these killer whales explode fish into pieces.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
They don't commonly explode, the research points out.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Astronomers have long suspected that white dwarfs also receive kicks, but the process is much gentler because these stars do not explode.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Spain’s players looked like they were ready to explode as they waited for team captain Rodri to lift the World Cup trophy into the air following their 1-0 win over Argentina in Sunday’s final.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
A moment passed while her heart threatened to explode.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
But traipse past the principal’s office, scale a short incline, and you’ll be rewarded with an 80-foot-long mural that explodes with color.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 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
In one scenario, a rapidly spinning massive star explodes and splits into two smaller neutron stars through a process called fission.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026
After just two minutes, it explodes in a burst of sound that leads directly to the hectic “In the Blink of an Eye.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
The sweet tartness explodes across my tongue. "-be ever in your favor!"
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
British digital bank Revolut, whose growth has exploded in recent years, reached a valuation of $115 billion Wednesday following a secondary share sale, a source close to the deal said Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Iranian state media reported that two oil tankers had exploded as the vessels tried to cross the strait.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Since then, the number of defaulted borrowers has exploded from 5.3 million to around 9.5 million, according to data from the Office of Federal Student Aid.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
On the one hand, the types of technologies that have exploded since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 can automate tasks like editing grammar or verifying facts and figures.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
With fewer birds to eat the insects, their population exploded, and the sweet sound of birdsong was replaced with the constant buzzing of scaly little wings.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
When they took the stage, the band wasted no time exploding into a searing 10-song set led by “That Girl” and including a screeching cover of the Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The exploding popularity of prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi with young staffers who have access to this information has created a pervasive temptation that is growing in advance of November’s elections.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Totoro’s real launch into pop culture’s stratosphere came a year later, when NTV brought his namesake movie to a broader audience, exploding its fandom beyond Japan.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
However, the bill for its AI investments is also exploding, prompting Zuckerberg, who has near-absolute power over the company, to impose sweeping cuts and increased monitoring of employees in the name of efficiency and savings.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
He waved his paws, pleading for the joking to stop, as he rolled about on the floor, exploding from bouts of giggling to fits of laughter.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
