blowup 1 of 2

blow up

2 of 2

verb

1
2
as in to detonate
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the building blew up because of a gas leak

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to smash
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 blowup
Noun
Not having Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton and defensive stalwart Jonas Siegenthaler appears to be wearing on coach Sheldon Keefe as well, given his odd blowup about Johnathan Kovacevic. James Mirtle, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 Excluding his blowup against Atlanta on Aug. 14, Ray had a 3.30 ERA with 41 strikeouts over 30 innings last season. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
The group beheaded Palmyra's head of antiquities, Khaled al-Assad, and then systematically blew up several of the ancient city's most important monuments. Jane Arraf, NPR, 17 Apr. 2025 Gold has always held a special allure for investors who see it as a safe harbor, especially today when incompetence at the top threatens to blow up financial assets. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for blowup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowup
Noun
  • Detectives with the department, along with the Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad, spent much of the afternoon and evening hours at the scene — which is about ¼ mile away from the Colonel Ledyard Cemetery on Mitchell Street where police found human remains on March 19.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Another group, studying the same data record, sketches a very different scene: a magma‑ocean hellscape, sterilized by heat.
    Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Volcanic eruptions in the Massif Central gave birth to the granite rocks of the northern Rhône, while layers upon layers of calcareous marine deposits in the south gave rise to prominent sandstone formations.
    Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2025
  • In 2021, La Palma was stuck by a volcanic eruption that displaced thousands of people and reshaped parts of the island.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Trump's actions angered Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism, helping the Liberals to flip the narrative and win a fourth straight term in power.
    Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Along with safety, downtown residents say green space has been one of the top concerns of the almost 100,000 people who live there, so the attack on some of the area’s few trees particularly angered people.
    Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Written by Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling, the film follows an airliner threatened by a bomb that will detonate if the plane drops below 4,000 feet.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Music seizes the reins and detonates the studied historicity viewers expect from stories about 20th-century music, pausing to highlight points the reader normally catches in articles about a movie rather than scenes in it: Yes, the blues begat both DOOM and doom.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Red Sox first baseman smashed his second three-run homer in two nights in an 8-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
    Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
  • In the past half decade, whole strata of this intricate New York support system have been smashed.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Everyone was cracking up, and Grandma was laughing too.
    Jordan Greene, People.com, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Well, private jets aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, either.
    Jonathan Margolis, Air Mail, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The chute opens, and rambunctious No. 2 bursts out with an impatient huff.
    Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Volunteers were charged around 25 cents per huff, bringing in good profit for those who’d invested in the necessary gas tanks, tubes, and breathing bags.
    Oshan Jarow, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Noun
  • Martin's son Gabe, hiding alone under a blanket, said the explosion left his ears ringing and smelled like burning batteries.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
  • The explosion of laws meant to protect minors from potentially harmful online content perhaps sounds noble at first glance, but with a second pass the laws read as superfluous.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Blowup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowup. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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