Definition of kablooey
informal
: the sound of an explosion
heard a loud kablooey
—often used interjectionally Then, kablooie! A power outage shut down three big-box stores …— Mitchell LandsbergSo what determines confidence? The actual level of debt has some influence—but it's not as if there's a red line, where you cross 90 or 100 percent of GDP and kablooie.— Paul Krugman
also
: an explosion or series of explosions especially when used for effect (as in a movie)
… conveying a story of corporate greed and institutional carelessness while hitting the viewer with all the taut, big-budget kablooey they can handle. — Brad Wheeler This wasn't Gaga's party. Even through all the airborne pomp and pyrotechnic kablooey, she ultimately seemed like a guest—and one who didn't want to overstay her welcome. — Chris Richards
go kablooey
or less commonly go kablooie
or go kerblooey
1
informal
: to burst violently : explode
What plays best of all, of course, is a spaceship going kablooey all over the screen.— Tad Friend So is this something homeowners should consider? A spate of municipal water pipes going kerblooey last spring might prompt some to think so.— David Lazarus
2
informal
: to suffer complete failure, destruction, or ruin especially in a sudden or spectacular way
One of several prize prospects of the mid-80s, he tried a comeback with the Rangers after his career went kablooey.— Kevin Sherrington … went public … just a few months before the technology-stock bubble went kablooey.— Scott Barancik et al.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for kablooey
The first known use of kablooey was in 1914
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