explodedlike

Explodedlike is a neologism used in literary criticism to describe a rhetorical and narrative effect in which ideas, images, or actions are presented in rapid, explosive bursts. The term signals a style that emphasizes intensity, fragmentation, and velocity, often achieved through a sequence of short clauses, piling modifiers, or abrupt shifts in perspective. In analysis, explodedlike passages feel electrically charged, as if an event or sensation has been detonated into its constituent parts rather than described in a steady, linear progression.

Etymology and usage: The word combines explode with like and is typically written as explodedlike or exploded-like. It emerged in online criticism and some contemporary scholarly writing during the 2010s and 2020s. It is not a formally standardized term or widely codified concept, but it appears in discussions of experimental prose, poetry, and multimedia texts.

Context and applications: Critics apply explodedlike to passages that aim for gusts of imagery or abrupt tonal shifts—moments that press the reader with rapid-fire description, collage-like juxtapositions, and high-velocity syntax. It is often contrasted with sustained, cyclical, or contemplative styles to highlight its kinetic rather than reflective impulse.

Examples: "The explodedlike chapter pours adjectives after actions, each clause louder than the last." "Her narration moves in an explodedlike cascade, fragments of memory detonating into one another."

See also: fragmentation, postmodern prose, telegraphic style, exuberant rhetoric.

References: See contemporary literary criticism and digital humanities discussions on experimental prose styles.