Definition

Noun 1. A violent and rapid release of energy, often with a loud noise, caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction, or by the bursting of a container under pressure. 2. A sudden, rapid, and often dramatic increase in amount, number, or intensity. 3. A sudden, forceful outburst of emotion, sound, or activity. 4. (In golf) A shot from a bunker that displaces a large amount of sand along with the ball. 5. (In phonetics) The release of breath in the articulation of a stop consonant (like /p/, /t/, /k/).

Usage Examples

• Violent release of energy:
  • The explosion at the factory could be heard for miles.
  • Scientists studied the nuclear explosion.
• Sudden great increase:
  • The city is struggling to manage the population explosion.
  • We are living in an age of information explosion.
• Sudden outburst:
  • His comment was met with an explosion of laughter from the audience.
  • She finally had an explosion of rage after weeks of stress.
• Golf shot:
  • He got out of the sand trap with a perfect explosion shot.

Advanced Usage

• "Set off an explosion": To cause an explosion to happen.
  • A spark from the machinery set off the explosion.
• "Explosion in": Used to describe a rapid increase in a specific area.
  • There has been an explosion in the number of startups in the tech sector.

Variants and Related Words

• Explode (verb): To burst or blow up violently.
  • The old boiler could explode if the pressure gets too high.
• Explosive (adjective/noun):
  • (Adj.) Likely to explode; suddenly and dramatically increasing.

    • The situation was highly explosive.
    • The company showed explosive growth.
  • (N.) A substance that can cause an explosion.

    • The bomb squad safely disposed of the explosive.
• Explosively (adverb): In a sudden and violent manner.
  • The crowd cheered explosively when the goal was scored.

Synonyms

• Blast, detonation, burst, eruption (for violent release).
• Surge, boom, upsurge, proliferation (for rapid increase).
• Outburst, flare-up, outbreak (for sudden emotion/activity).

Related Phrases

• Explosion of color: A vivid and sudden display of many colors.
  • The garden in spring is an explosion of color.
• Explosive device: A manufactured object designed to explode.
  • Police found an explosive device in the vehicle.

Idioms

• "Ticking time bomb" (related concept): A situation or person likely to cause a sudden disaster or explosion of trouble.
  • Their financial problems were a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

Noun

1. a golf shot from a bunker that typically moves sand as well as the golf ball
2. a sudden outburst
   • an explosion of laughter
   • an explosion of rage
3. the terminal forced release of pressure built up during the occlusive phase of a stop consonant
4. the noise caused by an explosion
   • the explosion was heard a mile away
5. a sudden great increase
   • the population explosion
   • the information explosion
6. the act of exploding or bursting
   • the explosion of the firecrackers awoke the children
   • the burst of an atom bomb creates enormous radiation aloft
7. a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction