exploding

Verb

explode (third-person singular simple present explodes, present participle exploding, simple past and past participle exploded)

1. (intransitive) To fly apart with sudden violent force; to blow up, to burst, to detonate, to go off.
   • The bomb explodes.
2. (transitive) To destroy with an explosion.
   • The assassin exploded the car by means of a car bomb.

   Synonyms:

   blow up, blow, blast, burst

3. (figuratively, intransitive) To make a violent or emotional outburst; to suddenly give expression to powerful and often negative or unpleasant emotion, especially anger.
   • She exploded when I criticised her hat.

   Synonyms:

   blow up

4. (figuratively, intransitive) To increase suddenly.
   • When pigeons can come to a spot day in and day out for a guaranteed meal, their populations explode.2016, Nathanael Johnson, Unseen City, →ISBN, page 19

   Synonyms:

   blow up

5. To increase arbitrarily or boundlessly.
   • The function f(x) = 1/x explodes around x = 0.
6. (transitive) To destroy violently or abruptly.
   • They sought to explode the myth.

See all 14 meanings of explode