Definition of detonate verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

detonate

verb

/ˈdetəneɪt/

[intransitive, transitive]

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they detonate	/ˈdetəneɪt/ /ˈdetəneɪt/
he / she / it detonates	/ˈdetəneɪts/ /ˈdetəneɪts/
past simple detonated	/ˈdetəneɪtɪd/ /ˈdetəneɪtɪd/
past participle detonated	/ˈdetəneɪtɪd/ /ˈdetəneɪtɪd/
-ing form detonating	/ˈdetəneɪtɪŋ/ /ˈdetəneɪtɪŋ/

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detonate (something) to explode, or to make a bomb or other device explode
- Two other bombs failed to detonate.
- The terrorists planned to detonate the device when the shop was empty.
- The bomb was detonated by remote control.
Synonyms explode
explodeblow up ▪ go off ▪ burst ▪ erupt ▪ detonateThese are all words that can be used when something breaks apart violently, causing damage or injury.
explode to burst (= to break open or apart) loudly and violently, causing damage; to make something burst in this way:
The jet smashed into a hillside and exploded.
The bomb was exploded under controlled conditions.
blow (something) up to be destroyed by an explosion; to destroy something by an explosion:
A police officer was killed when his car blew up.
go off (of a bomb) to explode; (of a gun) to be fired:
The bomb went off in a crowded street.
When used about guns, the choice of go off (instead of ‘be fired’) can suggest that the gun was fired by accident.burst to break open or apart, especially because of pressure from inside; to make something break in this way:
That balloon’s going to burst.
erupt (of a volcano) to throw out burning rocks and smoke; (of burning rocks and smoke) to be thrown out of a volcano.detonate (rather formal) (of a bomb) to explode; to make a bomb explode:
Two other bombs failed to detonate.
Patterns
- a bomb explodes/blows up/goes off/bursts/detonates
- a car/plane/vehicle explodes/blows up
- a firework/rocket explodes/goes off
- a gun goes off
Topics War and conflictc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
Detonate is used with these nouns as the subject:
bomb
Detonate is used with these nouns as the object:
bomb
explosive
mine
…
See full entry
Word Originearly 18th cent.: from Latin detonat- ‘thundered down or forth’, from the verb detonare, from de- ‘down’ + tonare ‘to thunder’.

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Nearby words

trait

noun

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