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 But the gesture that surprised him most, Salazar said, may have been the time that one of Fanara’s cooks couldn’t get to work because his car’s engine blew up. Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 All the hype and pageantry of an impending Conor McGregor return to the UFC Octagon on Saturday night blew up in smoke within seconds. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2026 Lamine Yamal also complained about the readaptation exercises he was given after suffering a groin injury, but the situation blew up when Raphinha suffered multiple setbacks from a hamstring injury in October. Pol Ballús, New York Times, 10 July 2026 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, 9 July 2026 But Blue Origin’s rocket blew up in dramatic fashion during an engine test last month, damaging its launch pad and raising questions about its ability to meet NASA’s timeline. Denise Chow, NBC news, 30 June 2026 Nostalgic Cravings About a decade ago, Bon Appétit editors blew up the internet. Jenny Adams, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2026 While Clark was sent to Earth as a baby before Krypton blew up, Kara and her parents were able to escape with others, although that’s only a temporary avoidance of their people’s fate. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 June 2026 Rodriguez-Mora, 42, was one of seven people killed last July 1 when a warehouse filled with workers preparing for Independence Day fireworks displays blew up in the community of Esparto near Woodland. Sacbee.com, 25 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blew up
Verb
  • However, the cyclops was a son of Poseidon, and this attack angered the sea god.
    Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • Traditional funerals in which loved ones wash and prepare bodies have been restricted, which has angered some residents.
    ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Verb
  • For example, demand for electric vehicles in the country exploded over the course of the war, and the number of EVs on the road surged by a third.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • Jason Kilar, the corporate overlord of Warners at the time, exploded the company’s goodwill with talent and agents in every corner of the business by forcing the studio’s titles to stream day and date.
    Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • When the driver did not emerge after officers repeatedly ordered him out of the SUV, an officer shattered the window.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Experience Doesn't Replace Understanding COVID-19 shattered the traditional office, boomers are working longer and Gen Z brings new expectations.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • And leftovers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, especially after multiple days on repeat.
    Sheela Prakash, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • The campaign of strikes, mostly targeting oil refineries and other energy infrastructure, has humiliated the Kremlin, snarled the logistics of its military, and forced many millions of Russians to suffer through rampant shortages of fuel.
    Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • Each time, as the dog snarled and jumped backward, the bear would rear again with his back against the tree trunk, swinging his mighty paws in front of him as though daring Drive to come within reach.
    Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026
Verb
  • Those barriers were primarily designed to protect against gunfire, mortar and rocket attacks, and vehicle bombs detonated at a distance, not direct impacts from advanced weapons, according to a 2006 Army assessment of base infrastructure.
    Steven Beynon, ABC News, 21 July 2026
  • The estate played the home of Rose Byrne’s hoity-toity Helen Harris III in Bridesmaids (the backyard is where Kristen Wiig’s Annie detonated mid-bridal-shower, cookie in hand).
    David Hochman, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • And then, suddenly, a male orca soared into view, belly up, and smashed his head into the dead fish.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 23 July 2026
  • Beyond shooting incidents, a recent American Civil Liberties Union report found dozens of incidents across eight states since January 2025 where immigration officers rammed into people's cars, smashed vehicle windows and struck people with cars.
    Juliana Kim, NPR, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • In a statement released Friday, the NFL stated that an investigation concluded that Gold provided confidential information about the Cardinals’ 2026 NFL draft selections before they were publicly announced.
    Doug Haller, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The death comes a day after the Pentagon announced the fatalities of two service members in Jordan.
    Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 20 July 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 23 Jul. 2026.

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