blew up

past tense of blow up
1
2
as in exploded
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 shattered
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 blew up The track blew up on social media during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and became Eslabón Armado’s first entry on the Billboard charts. Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 But last year, their relationship blew up amid a turf war over CPS employees. Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 Israeli forces occupying the village of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah in southern Lebanon also blew up buildings including a municipal building and a children’s nursery, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported. ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 How The Shards original adaptation blew up at HBO — and ended up in Ryan Murphy’s hands; THR looks at all the actors lobbying to star in the X-Men reboot. Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 To Jones’ point, Uwazurike single-handedly blew up one run-sweep to Harvey in a 9-on-7 period, arriving in the backfield the near second Harvey even touched the ball. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026 Linebacker Daiyan Henley blew up a carry from running back Kimani Vidal. Daniel Popper, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 How about this social media post from NASCAR that absolutely blew up the internet over the weekend? Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 As their last retreating act, Hussein’s soldiers blew up some 700 Kuwaiti oil wells, painting the sky black with smoke and igniting unchecked fires that burned for 10 months. Wuft News, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blew up
Verb
  • The White House had previously angered US ranchers by quadrupling low-tariff imports of Argentine beef to cool prices.
    Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • During a joint practice last summer in Houston, Moehrig decked Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson on a hard but clean hit that angered a few of Hutchinson’s teammates.
    Joseph Person, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Prediction market platforms have exploded in popularity in recent years, facing condemnation from lawmakers and others who argue the sites commodify human suffering and, in some cases, incentivize wrongdoing.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • For example, shares of medical platform Doximity exploded earlier this month when CEO Jeffrey Tangney said that the company's AI search product is pulling in revenues-per-search that are 10 times what the tool costs to run.
    Tobias Burns, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Windows were shattered at a children’s hospital in the Solomianskyi district, said Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko.
    Kosta Gak, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Cops responding to the area found a window shattered by gunfire and a pool of blood inside Hakim’s, a nearby seasonal restaurant for adults that neighbors say has become a teen hangout.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Here, Lauren Houser, vice president of marketing at cleaning solutions company Zep in Atlanta, Georgia, highlights six common hacks that really aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
    Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Being at the top of your game and winning on the biggest stages isn’t always all it's cracked up to be.
    Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • The horns section snarled, the background vocalists riffed, and Olivia picked up multiple instruments herself – the tambourine, guitar, shakers, and the piano.
    Sidney Madden, VIBE.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the tech industry's multitrillion-dollar spending spree on data centers and AI infrastructure has snarled supply chains.
    Matt Peterson,Kate Rooney, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Trump in a Truth Social post said the United States' naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect and that mines in the Strait of Hormuz had been removed or detonated.
    Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The older Green Lantern taunted the alien so much, that the creature detonated itself, blowing a hole into the side of the jail.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Not the first time This is far from the first incident where brazen criminals have smashed through stores and banks in Maryland to steal cash machines.
    Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • MuMe’s security systems were triggered when the thieves smashed glass display cases in the museum.
    News Desk, Artforum, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The executions, announced Sunday, triggered condemnations by rights groups in the North African country that is divided between rival administrations, each backed by a set of militias and foreign governments.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Police have not announced any arrests as their investigation began late Sunday night.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blew up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blew%20up. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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