blowing up

Definition of blowing upnext
present participle of blow up
1
2
as in exploding
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the building blew up because of a gas leak

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in shattering
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive blew up the biggest rocks and then cleared them away

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blowing up About to hit rock bottom, Peter is therefore oblivious to the +44 numbers that are blowing up his phone, until the caller — a British clubber called Edison (the fantastic Kirby Howell-Baptiste) — arrives on his doorstep. Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2026 Now, the Swedish flatpack giant believes its long-elusive obsession is, at long last, blowing up. Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 14 May 2026 The wires are crossing, the cover stories are blowing up. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026 Kimberly Shaw blowing up the apartment building at the end of season 4 is a core memory for fans. Andrea Lavinthal, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026 Alberto was redshirting his first season at Indiana, while the Hoosiers were blowing up in their first year under Cignetti. Seth Emerson, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026 What’s more, the combo is actually comfortable; of course, that depends on the shoes, but fitted sock booties like hers have been blowing up thanks to their, well, sock-like comfort. Eva Thomas, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026 What about destroying the stockpile by blowing up the canisters? Sheena Samu, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026 Since the early days of the pandemic — which is when many Stationerycore fans and creators at the festival date their stationery awakening — the stationery industry has been steadily expanding, even blowing up. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowing up
Verb
  • The planes then fall together, exploding into a fireball upon impact as the crew members drift to the ground nearby.
    Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
  • The aircraft then fall to the ground before exploding, sending thick black smoke billowing into the air.
    Greg Wehner , Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • The administration’s norm-shattering masks a more fundamental misunderstanding of how administrative power can bring about lasting change.
    Joshua M. Sharfstein, STAT, 16 May 2026
  • At that price point, the home will likely become the most expensive home sold in Miami-Dade, shattering the record set by Zuckerberg earlier this year.
    Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Mark Toothaker, a stallion sales manager for Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, was on the couch cracking up with his wife, Malory, about the whiffed field goal and consequential turnover.
    Kelly O'Grady, CBS News, 3 May 2026
  • The dogs were confused, not sure whether to attack or run for cover, and Susan was cracking up.
    Sid Evans, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Cody Brundage's 44-second R2 knockout over Andre Petroski was the fastest of the night, and Khaos Williams returned to form by detonating a right hand on Nikolay Veretennikov for a vintage first-round TKO.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
  • Two Massachusetts men have pleaded guilty to breaking into Harvard Medical School and detonating fireworks last Halloween night, a crime that caught the eye of FBI Director Kash Patel.
    Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Suarez was caught on surveillance camera smashing into the Volkswagen Jetta on Amsterdam Ave.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026
  • Dwight reached out and squeezed my upper arm, pulling me into a bear hug, smashing my face against the rough canvas of his jacket, his gloved hand on my ass pulling me closer.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026
  • Trump now faces a break-the-glass moment to avoid gas prices from blowing past Biden-era records highs.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • The work included demolishing one stand entirely to create the space required to facilitate those media demands.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 May 2026
  • While the Israel Defense Forces continue to dismantle the physical fortress — recently demolishing the largest Hezbollah tunnel network in southern Lebanon — the Iranian people are dismantling the regime’s internal legitimacy.
    Liram Koblentz-Stenzler, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department bulletin announcing the arrest of 33-year-old Brandon Tyrell Simmons in connection with a deadly stabbing in Palmdale.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 17 May 2026
  • His visits this year have been jam-packed with news, from announcing the capture of Venezuela's then-president Nicolás Maduro and strikes on Iran.
    Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 17 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blowing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowing%20up. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster