explosion
noun/ɪkˈspləʊʒn/
/ɪkˈspləʊʒn/
Word Family
- explode verb
- explosion noun
- explosive adjective noun
- unexploded adjective
- [countable, uncountable] the sudden violent bursting and loud noise of something such as a bomb exploding; the act of deliberately causing something to explode
- a bomb/nuclear/gas explosion
- There were two loud explosions and then the building burst into flames.
- a huge/massive explosion
- Bomb Squad officers carried out a controlled explosion of the device.
- Some witnesses said they heard an explosion before the plane hit the ground.
- The accused denies conspiring to cause an explosion.
- in an explosion 300 people were injured in the explosion.
- explosion of something a spectacular explosion of fireworks
Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflictb1- A huge explosion rocked the entire building.
- The build-up of gas caused a small explosion.
- The explosion caused major structural damage.
- A massive explosion ripped through the chemical works.
- The explosion sent a large cloud of smoke and dust into the air.
- The world changed with the explosion of the first atomic bomb.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- almighty
- big
- deafening
- …
- cause
- create
- set off
- …
- come
- happen
- occur
- …
- in an/the explosion
Definitions on the go
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- [countable] a large, sudden or rapid increase in the amount or number of something
- a population explosion
- explosion of something an explosion of interest in learning Japanese
- explosion in something an explosion in oil prices
Extra Examples- How can we keep up with the information explosion?
- If no action is taken, the country runs the risk of a social explosion.
- In the 1860s a veritable explosion of major scientific publications took place.
- a great explosion of creativity
- a sudden explosion in the number of students
- I believe we will see an explosion in lawsuits of this kind.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- sudden
- great
- veritable
- …
- see
- witness
- occur
- take place
- explosion in
- explosion of
- [countable] (formal) a sudden, violent expression of emotion, especially anger synonym outburst
- Do you know what brought on that explosion?
- Demonstrators clashed with riot police in an explosion of anger at live animal exports.
- The shock waves of this political explosion engulfed the whole of Europe.
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from Latin explosio(n-) ‘scornful rejection’, from the verb explodere ‘drive out by clapping, hiss off the stage’, from ex- ‘out’ + plaudere ‘to clap’.
Check pronunciation:
explosion