Meaning & use
detonate
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Meaning
verbtransitive or intransitive
to explode with a sudden loud noise, or to make a bomb or device explode
Grammar: Can be used with an object (detonate a bomb) or without (the bomb detonated).
Patterns
- detonate something
- something detonates
The soldiers detonated the explosives in a controlled area.
The bomb detonated just seconds after the warning was given.
Engineers used a remote device to detonate the charges.
Word forms
| third person singular | detonates |
|---|---|
| past tense | detonated |
| past participle | detonated |
| -ing form | detonating |
Common combinations
- detonate a bomb
- The terrorists threatened to detonate a bomb in the city center.
- detonate explosives
- The team detonated the explosives safely.
- detonate remotely
- The device was detonated remotely by a signal.
- detonate on impact
- The mine is designed to detonate on impact.
Synonyms and how they differ
- explode
- Explode is the general word for bursting violently; detonate is more specific and often used for bombs or devices that are set off intentionally.
- blow up
- Blow up is informal and can mean to destroy something with an explosion; detonate is more technical and neutral.
- set off
- Set off means to cause something to explode, but it can also mean to start a process or journey; detonate is only about explosions.
Opposites
Word family
- detonation noun
- the act of exploding or setting off an explosive
- detonator noun
- a device used to set off an explosion
Commonly confused: detonate or denote?
detonate vs denote
Denote means to be a sign of or to represent something; detonate means to explode. They sound somewhat similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Option 0 uses 'detonated' correctly as an intransitive verb meaning 'exploded'. Option 1 confuses 'detonate' with 'denote'. Option 2 uses the wrong preposition ('to' instead of 'at'). Option 3 uses the past continuous incorrectly because the explosion was a single event, not an ongoing one.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “detonate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.