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 Hublot x Jeff Koons Hublot and Jeff Koons blew up the Classic Fusion in September. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2026 The trend blew up after Paris Hilton credited red light with extending her Chihuahua’s life, and pet-specific wearables are now hitting the market. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026 One year ago, AI ‘actress’ Tilly Norwood blew up at the Zurich Summit when she was introduced to the industry. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2026 But her list kept growing in the Eighties, when Hoffs suddenly blew up into a wildly famous rock star. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026 The trio blew up with their drum & bass productions before expanding into electro, house, pop and beyond, gaining prestige for the complexity and meticulousness of their productions. — Katie Bain, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2026 The stock traded above $500 in 2021, then spent the next three years getting cut in half, then cut in half again, as growth slowed, the Grail acquisition blew up under regulatory pressure and the market wanted nothing to do with it. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 Then Ditka blew up, telling him the film was intentionally left blank. — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Over the summer, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss blew up the storied institution by firing its executive producer and key correspondents and bringing in far less experienced replacements, including several right-leaning opinion journalists. — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blew up
Verb
  • Although the Biennale eventually restored the name, the decision angered China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan.
    — Vivienne Chow, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Abiy also angered Somalia by trying to negotiate access to the sea via the territory of Somaliland.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Widening the southern portion of State Highway 69 has been a priority for the state as South Meridian and Kuna’s populations have exploded in recent years.
    — Rose Evans October 6, Idaho Statesman, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Combos, or multiple contracts stacked together that only pay out if all of them win — similar to parlays on traditional sportsbooks — have exploded in popularity.
    — Ananya Chetia,Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • When Lee is so clearly shattered, sitting at home in silence and in darkness?
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This trust, known as the presumption of regularity, has been shattered, and a growing number of judges have expressed frustration and alarm.
    — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The movie once again has personal connections for Gray, an intense drama centering on family and two brothers who get involved in a scheme that sounds promising but of course is not all it is cracked up to be.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Even so, the cost and cost recovery of each may not turn out as they were cracked up to be.
    — Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The prolonged war in Ukraine has also snarled global wheat trade through the Black Sea, compounding economic effects and undermining food security in vulnerable countries.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
  • That, plus some afternoon thunderstorms, snarled airport operations on Sunday evening.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In one of the recent demonstrations in the town of Lens on Monday, a 15-year-old had picked up a police dispersal grenade that detonated, losing his hand and part of his lower arm, officials said.
    — Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • She is widely remembered as the first Palestinian woman to carry out a suicide bombing, although accounts indicate that the device may have detonated unexpectedly.
    — Sara Harmouch, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Space debris is generated not only by kinetic space weapons but also when satellites collide and get smashed into countless fragments and smaller particles that travel at high velocity and are capable of destroying or damaging more spacecraft.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The thief reportedly smashed a window near the rear of the museum to gain entry.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The release marks a significant milestone for the studio in a strategic partnership with Almuslim, first announced more than two years ago, aimed at adapting several of his popular literary works into film and television projects.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • On Monday morning, the Nobel Prize for medicine was announced.
    — Jeffrey S. Flier, STAT, 5 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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