Meaning & use
implode
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To collapse suddenly inward because of pressure from outside.
Grammar: No object: the tank imploded.
The old building imploded when the charges went off.
Deep-sea equipment can implode under pressure.
The glass bulb imploded.
verbintransitivefigurative
To fail suddenly and completely because of problems inside, such as a company, team or relationship.
Grammar: No object; figurative.
The company imploded after the scandal.
Their friendship imploded over money.
The team imploded in the second half.
verbtransitivespecialist
To make something collapse inward.
Grammar: Takes an object, e.g. demolition.
Patterns
- implode a building
Engineers imploded the old stadium.
Word forms
| third person singular | implodes |
|---|---|
| past tense | imploded |
| past participle | imploded |
| -ing form | imploding |
Common combinations
- implode under pressure
- The team imploded under pressure.
- company implodes
- The company imploded.
- implode spectacularly
- It imploded spectacularly.
- implode on itself
- The star imploded on itself.
Synonyms and how they differ
Opposites
Word family
- implosion noun
- a sudden collapse inward
Commonly confused: implode or explode?
implode vs explode
Explode bursts outward, implode collapses inward.
Practice
Which is the opposite of implode?
Choose one answer.
Explode is outward, implode inward.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “implode”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.