What does "explode" mean?

1. (to blow up) to burst or fly apart suddenly with a loud noise and great force. 2. (to increase quickly) to increase in number or size very fast. 3. (to show sudden anger) to suddenly show a lot of anger or another strong emotion. 4. (to disprove) to show that a common belief or idea is completely false. 5. (to split text) to break a piece of text into smaller parts using a specific character. 6. (exploded view) to show the parts of a machine or object separated but in their right places.

explode

US //ɪksˈpɫoʊd// UK //ɛksplˈəʊd// ex·plode

1 to blow up (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to burst or fly apart suddenly with a loud noise and great force.

to undergo a rapid expansion or chemical reaction that causes a violent bursting or detonation.

Example

The old boiler might explode if the pressure gets too high.

Example

The controlled demolition caused the derelict tower to explode inward, sending a massive plume of dust across the vacant lot.
- implode
2 to increase quickly (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to increase in number or size very fast.

to increase suddenly and rapidly in volume, number, or intensity.

Example

The city's population started to explode after the new factory opened.

Example

Subscription rates for the streaming service began to explode once they secured the exclusive rights to the international tournament.
- plummet
- shrink

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3 to show sudden anger (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to suddenly show a lot of anger or another strong emotion.

to give sudden, violent expression to a powerful emotion, typically anger or frustration.

Example

He tried to stay calm, but he finally exploded when they lied to him.

Example

The manager exploded at the staff during the morning briefing, unable to tolerate another oversight in the production schedule.
- erupt
- flare up
- contain
- suppress
4 to disprove (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to show that a common belief or idea is completely false.

to show a theory or belief to be false or unfounded; to debunk a long-held myth.

Example

Modern science has exploded the myth that the earth is flat.

Example

The latest archaeological findings have effectively exploded the traditional narrative regarding the migration patterns of the early settlers.
- debunk
- disprove
- refute
- confirm
- verify
5 to split text (v.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

to break a piece of text into smaller parts using a specific character.

to split a delimited string into an array of smaller strings based on a separator.

Example

You can explode the comma-separated list into individual names.

Example

The script is designed to explode the raw data string into a structured array for easier processing by the database.
- split
- parse
- implode
- join
6 exploded view (v.)
C1 Advanced Technical Science

to show the parts of a machine or object separated but in their right places.

to represent a complex object in a diagram where the components are separated but positioned to show their relationship.

Example

The manual shows an exploded diagram of the engine so you can see every part.

Example

The technical illustrator chose to explode the assembly drawing to clarify how the internal gears interacted with the drive shaft.

Origin

First recorded around 1538, from the Latin verb explōdere (“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 ex- (“out”) + plaudere (“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.

Word family

Verbexplode
Verbexploded
Adjectiveexploding