1
a
of air
(1)
: to be in motion
A breeze blew gently.
(2)
: to move with speed or force
The wind was blowing.
b
: to move or run quickly
The linebacker blew past the tackle.
2
: to send forth a current of air or other gas
Don't blow on your soup.
3
a
: to make a sound by or as if by blowing
hear the train blow
b
of a wind instrument
: sound entry 2
a horn blowing
waiting for the whistle to blow
4
a
: boast
blowing about his accomplishments
b
: to talk in an empty or boastful way
… if it wasn't true, and he was just blowing, it wouldn't be so hard to take.—
James Jones
James Jones5
6
: to move or be carried by or as if by wind
just blew into town for the weekend
7
b
: to become damaged or destroyed as a result of an electrical overload
The fuse blew.
A Western Massachusetts Electric Company power substation blew yesterday afternoon, cutting power for 90 minutes to more than 9,100 customers …—Patrick Johnson
Patrick Johnson
c
of a tire
: to release the contained air through a spontaneous rupture
—usually used with out
blew out a tire
1
a
: to set (gas or vapor) in motion
The fan blew hot air on us.
b
: to act on with a current of gas or vapor
The breeze blew my hair dry.
2
a
: to play or sound on (a wind instrument)
blow their horns
b
: to play (something) on a wind instrument
blow a tune
3
4
a
: to drive with a current of gas or vapor
The storm blew the boat off course.
b
: to clear of contents by forcible passage of a current of air
blow your nose
c
: to project (a gesture or sound made with the mouth) by blowing
blew him a kiss
5
a
: to distend with or as if with gas
blow a balloon
b
: to produce or shape by the action of blown or injected air
blowing bubbles
6
of insects
: to deposit eggs or larvae on or in
wounds blown by flies
7
: to shatter, burst, or destroy by explosion
blow the safe open
8
a
: to put out of breath with exertion
Take care not to blow the horses.
b
: to let (an animal, such as a horse) pause to catch the breath
paused to blow the horses
9
a
: to expend (something, such as money) extravagantly
blew her allowance on a pair of jeans
b
: to treat with unusual expenditure
I'll blow you to a steak.
10
: to cause (a fuse) to blow
blew a fuse
11
: to rupture by too much pressure
blow a seal
12
a
: botch sense 1
actors blowing their lines
b
: to fail to keep or hold
They blew a big lead.
c
: to lose or miss (an opportunity) because of mistakes or poor judgment
blow a chance to make a good impression
13
: to leave hurriedly
blew town
14
: to propel with great force or speed
blew a fastball by the batter
15
US, informal
: to drive or speed through or past (a traffic signal or stop sign) without stopping
He blew several red lights and stop signs before smashing into a pole and a fence, cops said.—Jessica Simeone et al.
Jessica Simeone et al.1
: an instance of air moving with speed or force : a blowing of wind especially when strong or violent
3
: an act or instance of blowing (see blow entry 1)
gave his nose a good blow
a blow of the horn
4
metallurgy
a
: the time during which air is forced through molten metal to refine it
b
: the quantity of metal refined during that time
5
slang
: cocaine
1
: blossoms
2
: bloom entry 2 sense 1b
lilacs in full blow
1
: a forcible stroke delivered with a part of the body (such as the fist) or with an instrument
a mighty blow with his club
boxers exchanging blows
2
: a hostile act or state : combat
nations coming to blows
3
: a forcible or sudden act or effort : assault
… such a language … would solve many of his … difficulties at a single blow.—Edward Sapir
Edward Sapir4
: an unfortunate or calamitous happening
failure to land the job came as a blow
Phrases
blow a gasket
: to become enraged
slang
: vomit sense 1
The basement is the sort of dim, subterranean space the players don't seem to mind trashing, and every now and then, one of them will turn to a corner and urinate or blow chunks.—Jonathon Blum
Jonathon Blum
: to be favorable at one moment and adverse the next
: to release pent-up emotions
: to lose one's composure
: to reveal one's real identity
: to overwhelm one with wonder or bafflement
an idea that's sure to blow your mind
: to become violently angry : to lose one's temper
: to speak idly, misleadingly, or boastfully
: to call public or official attention to something (such as a wrongdoing) kept secret
—usually used with on
blew the whistle on the firm's unethical practices
Synonyms
Verb (1)
Noun (1)
Verb (2)
Noun (3)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of blow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebEnjanae' Taylor, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2023
Last month, the country’s exports suffered their biggest drop in more than three years, dealing a new blow to its faltering recovery.
—Laura He, CNN, 21 Sep. 2023
Blackburn ran around another Rams’ defender to a deliver a vicious blindside blow to Hunter, playing at wide receiver, well after the play had ended.
—oregonlive, 18 Sep. 2023
The initial ruling deals a massive blow to state lawmakers, who passed the law with broad bipartisan support last year, and to children’s safety advocates, who touted the measure as one of the strongest children’s online safety laws in the United States.
—Cristiano Lima, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2023
The implications go beyond blows to the real estate market and tax revenue.
—Kevin McGill, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023
Not having Jonathan Taylor is a massive blow and Richardson may feel compelled to put the team on his back.
—Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2023
Losing it now would be a major blow, said Mr. Kasapoğlu, who is also a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington and has been monitoring ground reports from Kupiansk on social media and other public sources.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
The injury will be a huge blow for the Chiefs’ potent offense.
—Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 7 Sep. 2023
Jamiel Lynch, CNN, 23 Sep. 2023
And my almost 15-year-old, which is blowing my mind.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
The once long, large lobby is now broken down into cozier living rooms with whimsical art—Boston boy Ben Franklin blowing bubbles!—and velour couches in tones of dusky plum and mustard.
—Linda Laban, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2023
Because somehow, the Browns managed to out-bummer the boo birds and blow an image-altering victory in the process.
—Jimmy Watkins, cleveland, 19 Sep. 2023
Later, he is said to have returned, kneeling and covering one nostril before blowing the other on her arms and hands.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2023
Strong winds blow fine particulate matter obstructing Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake Friday, Sept. 1, 2023.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023
Two new reports of subway trains coming dangerously close to employees came to light Tuesday, including a near-miss on Monday when a flagger apparently signaled for a Red Line train to stop only to have the driver blow past the track workers at 25 miles per hour.
—Laura Crimaldi, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Sep. 2023
Nearly blowing it Sooooo … what happened on that final drive?
—Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023
See More
Noun
It’s meant to be used on damp hair for one-step blow drying and curling.
—Enjanae' Taylor, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2023
Last month, the country’s exports suffered their biggest drop in more than three years, dealing a new blow to its faltering recovery.
—Laura He, CNN, 21 Sep. 2023
Blackburn ran around another Rams’ defender to a deliver a vicious blindside blow to Hunter, playing at wide receiver, well after the play had ended.
—oregonlive, 18 Sep. 2023
The initial ruling deals a massive blow to state lawmakers, who passed the law with broad bipartisan support last year, and to children’s safety advocates, who touted the measure as one of the strongest children’s online safety laws in the United States.
—Cristiano Lima, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2023
The implications go beyond blows to the real estate market and tax revenue.
—Kevin McGill, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023
Not having Jonathan Taylor is a massive blow and Richardson may feel compelled to put the team on his back.
—Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2023
Losing it now would be a major blow, said Mr. Kasapoğlu, who is also a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington and has been monitoring ground reports from Kupiansk on social media and other public sources.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
The injury will be a huge blow for the Chiefs’ potent offense.
—Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 7 Sep. 2023
Verb
Number of billion-dollar weather disasters in US blows through annual record with four months left in the year
The water will be added to water at treatment centers and create a mixture that is safe for treatment, Jones added.
—Jamiel Lynch, CNN, 23 Sep. 2023
And my almost 15-year-old, which is blowing my mind.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
The once long, large lobby is now broken down into cozier living rooms with whimsical art—Boston boy Ben Franklin blowing bubbles!—and velour couches in tones of dusky plum and mustard.
—Linda Laban, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2023
Because somehow, the Browns managed to out-bummer the boo birds and blow an image-altering victory in the process.
—Jimmy Watkins, cleveland, 19 Sep. 2023
Later, he is said to have returned, kneeling and covering one nostril before blowing the other on her arms and hands.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2023
Strong winds blow fine particulate matter obstructing Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake Friday, Sept. 1, 2023.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023
Two new reports of subway trains coming dangerously close to employees came to light Tuesday, including a near-miss on Monday when a flagger apparently signaled for a Red Line train to stop only to have the driver blow past the track workers at 25 miles per hour.
—Laura Crimaldi, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Sep. 2023
Nearly blowing it Sooooo … what happened on that final drive?
—Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1) and Noun (1)
Middle English, from Old English blāwan; akin to Old High German blāen to blow, Latin flare
Verb (2) and Noun (2)
Middle English, from Old English blōwan; akin to Old High German bluoen to bloom, Latin florēre to bloom, flor-, flos flower
Noun (3)
Middle English (northern dialect) blaw; probably akin to Old High German bliuwan to beat
First Known Use
Verb (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun (1)
1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1710, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of blow was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing blow
Dictionary Entries Near blow
Cite this Entry
“Blow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blow. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
blow
1 of 4 verb1
: to move or become moved especially rapidly or with power
wind blowing from the north
2
: to send forth a strong stream of air (as from the mouth)
blow on your soup
3
: to drive or become driven by a stream of air
trees blown down
4
a
: to make a sound or cause to sound by or as if by blowing
blow a horn
blow a whistle
b
: to project by blowing
blow a kiss
5
a
: to breathe hard or rapidly : pant
b
of a whale
: to force moisture-filled air out of the lungs through the blowhole
6
a
: to melt when overloaded
the fuse blew
b
: to cause (a fuse) to blow
7
: to open or break or tear apart by too much pressure
blew a seal
the tire blew out
8
: to clear by forcing air through
blew his nose
9
: to produce or shape by the action of blown or otherwise forced air
blow bubbles
blow glass
10
: to shatter, burst, or destroy by explosion
11
: to spend recklessly
blew all the money in one day
12
a
b
: to lose or miss (as an opportunity) especially through clumsiness
blew my chance
blow
2 of 4 noun1
: a blowing of wind especially when strong or violent
2
: a forcing of air from the mouth or nose or through an instrument
blow
4 of 4 noun1
: a hard hit using a part of the body or an instrument
2
: an unfriendly act : combat
come to blows
3
: a sudden act or effort
solve all our problems with one blow
4
: a sudden disaster
a heavy blow to the nation
Etymology
Verb
Old English blāwan "to blow, to move quickly"
Verb
Old English blōwan "to bloom"
Noun
Middle English blaw "stroke"
Medical Definition
blow
2 of 2 noun1
: the act of some insects of depositing eggs or larvae
also
: a larva so deposited (as in a wound)
—used chiefly of blowflies and flesh flies
2
: forcible ejection of air from the body (as in freeing the nose of mucus and debris)
3
slang
: cocaine
More from Merriam-Webster on blow
Nglish: Translation of blow for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of blow for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blow
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share