The phrase "to explode a star" refers to a massive release of energy and matter from a star, often resulting in a powerful and bright explosion called a supernova. Full definition
A tiny deviation in the brightness of exploding stars led astronomers to conclude that they had no idea what 70 percent of the cosmos consists of. (scientificamerican.com)
New measurements of light from distant exploding stars were supposed to illuminate the dark energy that is pushing the cosmos apart. (sciencenews.org)
One possibility is that exploding stars blast normal matter out of galaxies. (newscientist.com)