English Reference

Word

exploding

Phoneticsex·plod·ing

US/ɪksˈpɫoʊdɪŋ/

UK/ɛksplˈəʊdɪŋ/

Definitions

02growing very rapidly

B2 · Business

adj. increasing in size or number at a very fast rate.

adj. characterised by sudden and rapid growth or increase in popularity.

“The company is trying to keep up with the exploding market for electric cars.”

“Investors are pouring capital into the exploding tech sector, hoping to secure early stakes in the next major platform.”

Synonyms

burgeoningmushrooming

Antonyms

03ending very soon

C1 · Business

adj. used to describe a business offer or job contract that you must accept quickly before it disappears.

adj. describing a time-limited offer, typically a job offer or contract, that expires if not accepted within a very short window.

“He received an exploding offer from the firm that required an answer by the end of the day.”

“The candidate felt pressured by the exploding offer, which gave her only twenty-four hours to decide before the salary package was withdrawn.”

Informal

Usage

Usually placed before the noun, such as 'exploding offer'.

Teaching tip

This is a specific business term; it implies pressure on the recipient to make a decision immediately.

Synonyms

time-limitedexpiring

04showing internal parts

C1 · Technical

adj. a drawing or diagram that shows the parts of a machine slightly separated so you can see how they fit together.

adj. pertaining to a diagrammatic representation where a complex object is shown with its components slightly separated but in their relative positions.

“The manual includes an exploding view of the engine to help with repairs.”

“The technical illustrator provided an exploding diagram of the gearbox to clarify the assembly sequence for the engineering team.”

Technical

Synonyms

expandeddisassembled

Real-World Examples

“What if the exploding parcel had gone off mid-air and caused a crash?”
BBC News · 4 Sept 2026
“I watched and rewatched a video of a power plant exploding.”
The Guardian · 16 Aug 2026

Domain

Business

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/exploding

English Reference