destroy vs explode

destroy and explode both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
destroy	No	No	Yes	No
explode	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, explode is a hyponym of destroy; that is, explode is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than destroy:

destroy (verb)	explode (verb)
defeat soundly and humiliatingly	burst outward, usually with noise
destroy completely; damage irreparably	cause to burst with a violent release of energy
put (an animal) to death	increase rapidly and in an uncontrolled manner
do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of	be unleashed; emerge with violence or noise
	burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction
	show a violent emotional reaction
	show (a theory or claim) to be baseless, or refute and make obsolete
	drive from the stage by noisy disapproval
	cause to burst as a result of air pressure; of stop consonants like /p/, /t/, and /k/
	destroy by exploding