blowup

1 of 3

noun

blow·​up ˈblō-ˌəp How to pronounce blowup (audio)
plural blowups
: a blowing up: such as
a
b
: an outburst of temper
d
: a catastrophic financial failure or collapse
Sometime in the next few years, a blowup is likely—one that could sink an already foundering economy.David Henry

blow-up

2 of 3

adjective

: designed to be inflated before use : inflatable
Here on the south coast the unusually warm seas have been filled with the inflatable vessels … : blow-up kayaks, dinghies and paddleboards.Ian Burrell
Sleeping in the car has now gone from rough and ready to the most comfortable outdoor experience—thanks to an ingenious blow-up mattress.Becky Pemberton

blow up

3 of 3

verb

blew up; blown up; blowing up; blows up

transitive verb

1
: to build up or tout to an unreasonable extent
advertisers blowing up their products
2
: to rend apart, shatter, or destroy by explosion
3
: to fill up with a gas (such as air)
blow up a balloon
4
: to make a photographic enlargement of
5
: to bring into existence by blowing of wind
it may blow up a storm
6
: to overwhelm (something, such as a phone) with calls, messages, alerts, etc.
… say your friend is blowing up your phone with … messages while you're supposed to be focusing on something else.Jake Peterson

intransitive verb

1
a
b
: to be disrupted or destroyed (as by explosion)
c
: to lose self-control
especially : to become violently angry
2
: to become or come into being by or as if by blowing of wind
3
a
: to become filled with a gas
b
: to become expanded to unreasonable proportions
c
: to gain a large amount of weight
In the ensuing two years Gibson blew up to more than 400 pounds as he ate an over-abundance of fast foods …Tim Crothers
4
: to suddenly become very successful, prevalent, or popular
Latin-tinged pop is blowing up because it fits the musical times: …Christopher John Farley

Examples of blowup in a Sentence

Noun The blowup of the photograph was easy to frame. The two of them had a big blowup about something trivial. The coach's latest blowup occurred when one of his players arrived late. Verb she blew up at everybody after a very long and very bad day the building blew up because of a gas leak
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
He’s covered the blowup of a former billionaire’s foundation for underserved students, America’s Richest Families, and how Charles Koch, Phil Knight and other aging billionaires plan to transfer their wealth. Matt Durot, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025 And the blowup between Ms. Stefanik and Mr. Johnson has led to more widespread distrust of the speaker, according to other lawmakers who did not want to speak on the record about a fight between colleagues. Annie Karni, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Tuesday’s blow-up by Adrián Morejón and Wandy Peralta was the first time the bullpen failed in 16 chances to protect a lead the Padres had with their opponent batting in the seventh inning. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2025 Another show might have had Ana hide the fact that she’s gotten into Columbia on a full scholarship, ratcheting up the tension until a climactic blow-up with her family. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
Here's why Cassie said Combs threatened to 'blow up' Kid Cudi's car During cross-examination, Ventura Fine was asked about her relationship with rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 17 May 2025 Sometime after the rapper’s car blew up, Combs, Ventura and Kid Cudi had a meeting at the Soho House about their relationship. Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for blowup

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1850, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1538, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blowup was circa 1538

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blowup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blowup. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

blowup

1 of 2 noun
blow·​up ˈblō-ˌəp How to pronounce blowup (audio)
1
2
: an outburst of bad temper
3
: a photographic enlargement

blow up

2 of 2 verb
ˈblō-ˈəp
1
: to expand or become expanded to extraordinary size
2
: to fill up or become filled with a gas and especially air
blow up a balloon
3
: to make an enlargement of
blow up a photograph
4
a
: to destroy or become destroyed by explosion
b
: to become violently angry
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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