Thermophysical couplings in batteries must be understood to ensure that batteries remain safe from potential immolation during operation. This article examines the ways in which thermophysical deformation of lithium-ion batteries can lead to explosions and other safety events and then provides a brief review of characterization methods to assess the behavior and results of such deformations. Finally, a recent example of an event “in the wild” is discussed and the mechanisms covered are applied to competing diagnoses of the failure.