explode and explore differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. explode means “cause to burst with a violent release of energy”. explore means “inquire into”.
/ɪkˈsploʊd/
1.v.cause to burst with a violent release of energy
“We exploded the nuclear bomb”
2.v.burst outward, usually with noise
“The champagne bottle exploded”
3.v.show a violent emotional reaction
“The boss exploded when he heard of the resignation of the secretary”
/ɪkˈsplɔɹ/
1.v.inquire into
“the students had to research the history of the Second World War for their history project”
2.v.travel to or penetrate into
“explore unknown territory in biology”
3.v.examine minutely
| explode | explore | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ɪkˈsploʊd/ | /ɪkˈsplɔɹ/ |
| Said | ik-SPLOHD | ik-SPLAWR |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb |
| Senses | 10 | 4 |
| How common | Common | Common |
| Synonyms | detonate, blow up, set off | research, search |
Full entry for explode · Full entry for explore · More comparisons