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detonate

[det-n-eyt] / ˈdɛt nˌeɪt /


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.

Alternatively, specialized ships or aircraft mimic the magnetic fields, pressure or noise created by a passing ship to detonate the mines before they can do any harm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Commander Fox explains that mines generally fall into two categories: contact mines, which detonate when struck, and influence mines, which explode when sensors detect changes in sound, pressure or magnetism.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

"We move carefully and extremely slowly so that the mine does not detonate," Vitalii says, describing the painstakingly slow process of demining.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

I regularly did more research on what type of mascara to buy than I did any online probing about this man for whom I was about to detonate my life.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2025

There was a hard block of silence, and then I said quietly, as though my words might detonate the room, “Do you remember what made you fall?”

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles




Vocabulary lists containing detonate