eruption

noun

i-ˈrəp-shən How to pronounce eruption (audio)
Definition of eruptionnext
1
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a great eruption of glee as it suddenly dawned on her that she had won

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2
as in firing
the act or an instance of exploding the eruption of the volcano Krakatoa was one of the most violent in global history

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of eruption Mann said that the study doesn't have a complete record of corals over the past 1,000 years, and also that his research has shown that volcanic eruptions have played more of a role than climate change in past El Niño events. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 The result was an eruption of buoyant experimentation, blending the organic and electronic with ecstatic melodies and avant-garde textures. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026 Sonic booms, volcanic eruptions and meteor airbursts can produce similar atmospheric shock waves, potentially creating other natural seismic sources. — Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026 The eruption also generated roughly 360 cubic miles (1,500 cubic kilometers) of pyroclastic-density-current deposits. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for eruption
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eruption
  1. explosion
  2. firing
  3. outburst
  4. burst
Noun
  • That has led to an explosion in interest in the annual Pacific leaders meeting, which has grown from a casual affair to a summit with 2,000 attendees.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • More messages arrived over Discord, X, WhatsApp, and even from a colleague who had been asked by a friend to see whether Fabian would correct his story to say that the explosion had been caused by interceptor fragments.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of explosion
Noun
  • Training units would not need to replace the complete launch pod after every firing cycle.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Among other requests, the complaint asked the court to declare the firings unlawful under the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedures Act and bar the Pentagon from proceeding with the terminations.
    — BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of firing
Noun
  • At least that bad-optics outburst, while insubordinate, had something noble at its basis.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This woman reportedly had already been receiving unwanted and threatening messages, and investigators concluded that Zhou’s AI conversations showed something more than a momentary angry outburst.
    — Matthew T. Christ, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of outburst
Noun
  • The burst and ability to create separation jumped out, as did his calm and composed finish, all at seemingly peak speed.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.
    — Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of burst

Browse Nearby Words

erupting
eruption
eruptions
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Cite this Entry

“Eruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eruption. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on eruption

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about eruption

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