Explosion ɪkˈspləʊʒn Loud Bomb Sudden Noun Bomb/Nuclear/Gas Building

• a bomb/nuclear/gas explosion
• there were two loud explosions and then the building burst into flames.
• a huge/massive explosion
• bomb squad officers carried out a controlled explosion of the device.

explosion

Word Family

• explode verb
• explosion noun
• explosive adjective noun
• unexploded adjective
1. the sudden violent bursting and loud noise of something such as a bomb exploding; the act of deliberately causing something to explode
• a bomb/nuclear/gas explosion
• There were two loud explosions and then the building burst into flames.
• a huge/massive explosion
• Bomb Squad officers carried out a controlled explosion of the device.
• Some witnesses said they heard an explosion before the plane hit the ground.
• The accused denies conspiring to cause an explosion.
• 300 people were injured in the explosion.
• a spectacular explosion of fireworks

Extra Examples

• A huge explosion rocked the entire building.
• The build-up of gas caused a small explosion.
• The explosion caused major structural damage.
• A massive explosion ripped through the chemical works.
• The explosion sent a large cloud of smoke and dust into the air.
• The world changed with the explosion of the first atomic bomb.
2. a large, sudden or rapid increase in the amount or number of something
• a population explosion
• an explosion of interest in learning Japanese
• an explosion in oil prices

Extra Examples

• How can we keep up with the information explosion?
• If no action is taken, the country runs the risk of a social explosion.
• In the 1860s a veritable explosion of major scientific publications took place.
• a great explosion of creativity
• a sudden explosion in the number of students
• I believe we will see an explosion in lawsuits of this kind.
3. a sudden, violent expression of emotion, especially anger
• SYNONYM outburst
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/outburst
• Do you know what brought on that explosion?
• Demonstrators clashed with riot police in an explosion of anger at live animal exports.
• The shock waves of this political explosion engulfed the whole of Europe.

Word Origin

• early 17th cent.: from Latin explosio(n-) ‘scornful rejection’, from the verb explodere ‘drive out by clapping, hiss off the stage’, from ex- ‘out’ + plaudere ‘to clap’.