detonate

/ˈdɛtəneɪt/
verb
  1. To explode or cause to explode with a sudden release of energy.
    • The engineers detonated the old building to make room for a new park.
    • If the gas leaks, a single spark could detonate the entire room.
    • The bomb squad safely detonated the suspicious package in a remote field.
  2. To suddenly release strong emotion or cause a dramatic event.
    • His angry words detonated a heated argument between the coworkers.
    • The news of the layoffs detonated a wave of protests across the company.
    • Her joke detonated laughter throughout the classroom.
What does "detonate" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean