Synonyms

TNT

¹ American

Or T.N.T.

Chemistry. a yellow, crystalline, water-insoluble, flammable solid, C 7 H 5 N 3 O 6 , derived from toluene by nitration, a high explosive unaffected by ordinary friction or shock: used chiefly in military and other explosive devices, and as an intermediate in the preparation of dye-stuffs and photographic chemicals.

TNT ² American

abbreviation

Trademark.

Turner Network Television: a cable television channel.

TNT British

noun

2,4,6-trinitrotoluene; a yellow solid: used chiefly as a high explosive and is also an intermediate in the manufacture of dyestuffs. Formula: CH 3 C 6 H 2 (NO 2 ) 3

"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

TNT Scientific

/ tē′ĕn-tē′ /

Short for trinitrotoluene. A yellow, crystalline compound used mainly as an explosive. As it can only explode by means of a detonator and is not affected by shock, it is safe to handle and is used especially in munitions and for demolitions. Chemical formula: C ₇ H ₅ N ₃ O ₆ .

Usage

What is TNT? TNT is a yellow, odorless powder at room temperature. TNT is highly explosive and has been used in the making of military weapons and industrial explosives.TNT is often confused and used interchangeably with another explosive: dynamite. While TNT and dynamite are both explosive, they have little else in common. They have totally different chemical properties and are made from completely different ingredients.Because it is highly explosive and highly dangerous, TNT is almost always regulated by government agencies, such as the United States’s Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. In the United States TNT can legally be made only by the U.S. military but can be legally purchased from other countries for approved industrial reasons.Using TNT in explosives is frequently depicted in popular culture, such as the Looney Tunes and Mickey Mouse cartoons.Example: Wile E. Coyote is often blown up by his own TNT when he fails to catch the Road Runner.

Etymology

Origin of TNT

First recorded in 1910–15

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.

The film is the first as writer-director for Shear, best known as an actor in numerous Baumbach films including “Mistress America” and “Marriage Story” and for his role on the TNT series “The Alienist.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

In the wake of Leicester's 36-17 win, all parties apologised, with TNT sorry that the ball was booted and Parling regretting his response to it.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Kingsley previously played Moses in an eponymously-titled 1995 production for TNT, part of a 27-installment collection that ended in 2002 with “Apocalypse” – an appropriate subject, perhaps, considering the time’s prevailing anxieties.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Speaking to TNT Sports, returning captain John McGinn suggested that the result had provided Villa with a "building block" and the opportunity to "reset" after a difficult few weeks.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Fat Man exploded over the city of Nagasaki with the force of 22,000 tons of TNT.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

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

TNT