A violent collapse of something inward, as opposed to an explosion which bursts outward.
From Latin 'implosus' (struck inward): im- (inward) + plodere (to strike). Created as the opposite of 'explosion' in the early 1900s.
Implosions happen when external pressure crushes something—like a soda can crushed by air pressure, or a building collapsing inward during demolition. Submarines have to withstand enormous pressure to avoid imploding.
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