The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Explode \Ex*plode"\ ([e^]ks*pl[=o]d"), v. i. [imp. & p. p.
   Exploded; p. pr. & vb. n. Exploding.] [L. explodere,
   explosum, to drive out, drive out a player by clapping; ex
   out + plaudere, plodere, to clap, strike, applaud: cf. OF.
   exploder. See Plausible.]
   1. To become suddenly expanded into a great volume of gas or
      vapor; to burst violently into flame; as, gunpowder
      explodes.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To burst with force and a loud report; to detonate, as a
      shell filled with powder or the like material, or as a
      boiler from too great pressure of steam.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To burst forth with sudden violence and noise; as, at
      this, his wrath exploded.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Explode \Ex*plode"\, v. t.
   1. To drive from the stage by noisy expressions of
      disapprobation; to hoot off; to drive away or reject
      noisily; as, to explode a play. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Him old and young
            Exploded, and seized with violent hands. --Milton.
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   2. To bring into disrepute, and reject; to drive from notice
      and acceptance; as, to explode a scheme, fashion, or
      doctrine.
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            Old exploded contrivances of mercantile fraud.
                                                  --Burke.
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            To explode and exterminate dark atheism. --Bently.
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   3. To cause to explode or burst noisily; to detonate; as, to
      explode powder by touching it with fire.
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   4. To drive out with violence and noise, as by powder.
      [1913 Webster]

            But late the kindled powder did explode
            The massy ball and the brass tube unload.
                                                  --Blackmore.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

explode
    v 1: cause to burst with a violent release of energy; "We
         exploded the nuclear bomb" [syn: explode, detonate,
         blow up, set off]
    2: burst outward, usually with noise; "The champagne bottle
       exploded" [syn: explode, burst] [ant: go off,
       implode]
    3: show a violent emotional reaction; "The boss exploded when he
       heard of the resignation of the secretary"
    4: be unleashed; emerge with violence or noise; "His anger
       exploded" [syn: explode, burst forth, break loose]
    5: destroy by exploding; "The enemy exploded the bridge"
    6: cause to burst as a result of air pressure; of stop
       consonants like /p/, /t/, and /k/
    7: drive from the stage by noisy disapproval
    8: show (a theory or claim) to be baseless, or refute and make
       obsolete
    9: burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or
       physical reaction;"the bomb detonated at noon"; "The Molotov
       cocktail exploded" [syn: detonate, explode, blow up]
    10: increase rapidly and in an uncontrolled manner; "The
        population of India is exploding"; "The island's rodent
        population irrupted" [syn: explode, irrupt]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

92 Moby Thesaurus words for "explode":
   backfire, bang, bark, be angry, be excitable, belie, bellow, blast,
   blow a fuse, blow a gasket, blow out, blow sky-high, blow up,
   break out, burst, burst forth, bust, catch fire,
   catch the infection, coal, come apart, come to nothing, crack,
   debunk, deflate, detonate, discharge, disconfirm, discredit,
   disprove, erupt, excite easily, expose, fail miserably, feed,
   fill up, fire, fire up, fizz out, fizzle, fizzle out, flame up,
   flare up, flash up, flip, fly apart, fly out, freak out, fuel,
   fuel up, fulminate, get excited, get nowhere, go into hysterics,
   go off, go phut, hang up, have a tantrum, hit the ceiling,
   invalidate, let off, misfire, mushroom, negate, negative, oil,
   poop out, pop, prove the contrary, puncture, rage, ramp, rant,
   rant and rave, rave, refuel, refute, reject, repudiate,
   run a temperature, seethe, set off, shoot, show up, smolder, stoke,
   storm, take fire, top off, touch off, turn a hair, undercut