1
as in angered
to become very angry
she blew up at everybody after a very long and very bad day
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in cracked up
to praise or publicize lavishly and often excessively
the advertisement blows the new soda up to the point where I half expected to be transported to a higher level of consciousness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blew up
In 2007, a big steam main by the Chanin Building, across from Grand Central, blew up right as a truck passed over, injuring dozens.
—
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 22 May 2026
One of its original SKUs was its Underpainting Palette, named for her viral underpainting technique that blew up on TikTok.
—Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Why the Nike Tech trend blew up Earlier this year, Nike Tech fleeces, jackets, pants and sweatsuits sparked cultural commentary with a viral social media trend that inspired young men to trade the casual style for preppy quarter-zip sweaters.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Warren has some experience with covering over the past as happened when her phony claim of being a blue-eyed Native American Cherokee descendent blew up.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
The National News Agency reported that an Israeli force entered parts of the southern village of Deir Mimas on the Litani River and blew up a water pumping station that uses solar energy and supplies the village with fresh water.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 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, 1 May 2026
The fifth commission for the plinth on the High Line elevated park is an homage to the Buddhas of Bamiyan, the pair of 6th-century colossi in central Afghanistan that the Taliban blew up in 2001.
—Benjamin Sutton, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
That story blew up the baseball world for a little while, with questions raised about your reputation as a teammate and clubhouse presence.
—Annie Heilbrunn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 22 May 2026
One of its original SKUs was its Underpainting Palette, named for her viral underpainting technique that blew up on TikTok.
—Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Why the Nike Tech trend blew up Earlier this year, Nike Tech fleeces, jackets, pants and sweatsuits sparked cultural commentary with a viral social media trend that inspired young men to trade the casual style for preppy quarter-zip sweaters.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Warren has some experience with covering over the past as happened when her phony claim of being a blue-eyed Native American Cherokee descendent blew up.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
The National News Agency reported that an Israeli force entered parts of the southern village of Deir Mimas on the Litani River and blew up a water pumping station that uses solar energy and supplies the village with fresh water.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 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, 1 May 2026
The fifth commission for the plinth on the High Line elevated park is an homage to the Buddhas of Bamiyan, the pair of 6th-century colossi in central Afghanistan that the Taliban blew up in 2001.
—Benjamin Sutton, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
That story blew up the baseball world for a little while, with questions raised about your reputation as a teammate and clubhouse presence.
—Annie Heilbrunn, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blew up
Verb
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But the evening quickly descended into chaos as fans angered by Nantes' relegation to the second division stormed the field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
-
The delay angered rural Republicans, who wanted to see the farm bill passed.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
After the landing, Starship toppled over into the ocean waters and exploded in a magnificent fireball (again, as planned) as SpaceX workers cheered.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
23 May 2026
-
But what began as a small safety-net program has exploded into one of the largest drug purchasing programs in America, eclipsing Medicaid.—
Al Sharpton,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Set to shoot in Canada in 2027, the film stars Lutz as Genie, a professional runner whose life is shattered by an unwanted pregnancy and later transformed by a catastrophic accident that leaves her without both legs.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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In the Tri-Valley League, junior midfielder Greg Walsh shattered a school record with eight goals, as Westwood cruised to an 15-6 win over Norwood.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Wondering if the talk about using eggshells in your garden is all it's cracked up to be?—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Is tofu all it's cracked up to be?—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In April, the image of Christ’s betrayer was replaced by a 23-foot effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, detonated to the cheers of townspeople and tourists.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
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For instance, in 2015 at a match between France and Germany, two explosive devices were detonated outside the Stade d’France in Paris by individuals wearing suicide vests.—
Simon Chadwick,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
Verb
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The two jets — which appeared to be Navy Super Hornet fighters — then smashed into the runway.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
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Bengaluru accelerated despite that loss as Iyer smashed his first 50 of the season, coming off 29 balls.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Verb
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During a January game on ESPN, for example, a commentator described betting that a specific player would score at least 30 points before a second commentator announced a DraftKings promo code.—
Luke Connors,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
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Last July, when Colbert announced the end of the Late Show franchise on CBS, many wondered what happens when shows that function as cultural town squares begin to disappear?—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Six construction workers were killed and traffic and the supply chain where snarled for several months.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
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Price pressures have only increased since the war with Iran snarled tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a spike in the cost of crude oil and gasoline.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blew up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blew%20up. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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