explode

ɪkˈspləʊd

3 definitions

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#1·5h ago

(intransitive) To fly apart with sudden violent force; to blow up, to burst, to detonate, to go off.

The bomb explodes.

Origin: First recorded around 1538, from the verb drive out or off by clapping. The meaning was originally theatrical, "to drive an actor off the stage by making noise," hence meaning to "to drive out" or "to reject". From out + to clap; to applaud. In English it used to mean to "drive out with violence and sudden noise" (from around 1660), and later meaning to "go off with a loud noise" (from around 1790). The sense of "bursting with destructive force" is first recorded around 1882. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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#2·5h ago

(transitive) To destroy with an explosion.

The assassin exploded the car by means of a car bomb.

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#3·5h ago

(intransitive, figuratively) To make a violent or emotional outburst; to suddenly give expression to powerful and often negative or unpleasant emotion, especially anger.

She exploded when I criticised her hat.

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