1
as in scene
an outburst or display of excited anger
the boss had another blowup when someone fouled up the copy machine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to anger
to become very angry
she blew up at everybody after a very long and very bad day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
as in to crack up
to praise or publicize lavishly and often excessively
the advertisement blows the new soda up to the point where I half expected to be transported to a higher level of consciousness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blowup
Angela Haupt,
Time,
11 June 2026
Since his last blowup in Cincinnati, Erceg has taken inventory of his mechanics.
—
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2026
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 June 2026
Nostalgic Cravings About a decade ago, Bon Appétit editors blew up the internet.
—
Jenny Adams,
Travel + Leisure,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for blowup
Noun
Schedule the fight Most blowups happen when one person is already activated and the other gets caught off guard and slips into defense mode—which means no one is actually listening.
—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
11 June 2026
Since his last blowup in Cincinnati, Erceg has taken inventory of his mechanics.
—
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2026
Verb
One of those blew up on its landing attempt while another was purposefully expended to get its payload to a higher orbital insertion.
—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 June 2026
Nostalgic Cravings About a decade ago, Bon Appétit editors blew up the internet.
—
Jenny Adams,
Travel + Leisure,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for blowup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowup
Noun
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Even in Moscow, extraordinary scenes are emerging of cars and trucks lining up outside gas stations, with some drivers waiting for hours with no guarantee of being able to fill up.
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The scene between him and TC (Sarah Swire) presents viewers with a peculiar question—what should music written and produced by a vampire sound like?
Noun
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The intense burst of X-rays released during the eruption reached Earth in just over 8 minutes, triggering strong (R3) radio blackouts across the daylight side of Earth.
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Emissions from volcanic eruptions can also cause some chemical chaos in this system.
Verb
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The mayor floated the idea to place Williams on probation for six months, angering the city manager’s supporters in the crowd.
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All the spending on the national events angers one supervisor at a Florida airport.
Verb
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At least four people were killed after an explosive device was detonated in a Damascus cafe Thursday, Syria's Interior Ministry said.
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It is now surrounded by fencing and ominous signs that read DANGER EXPLOSIVES and show a bomb being detonated.
Verb
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Powell is accused of smashing the mug over the victim's head.
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The van’s windows were smashed and a lone orange traffic cone sat on the hood.
Verb
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And leftovers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, especially after multiple days on repeat.
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So here’s another communal chance to crack up at Steve O being launched into orbit inside a Port-a-Potty!
Noun
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Devers walked back to the dugout in a huff.
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David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.
Noun
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Tuesday night's explosion from Contreras had actually been 24 hours in the making.
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Authorities in the wealthy city-state of Monaco have launched a manhunt that’s stretched across the border into France after several people were wounded in an explosion caused by a bomb that was planted in a residential building.
Cite this Entry
“Blowup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowup. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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