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 Specifically in New York, a Swedish candy store called Bon Bon blew up and had influencers creating ASMR taste test videos. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026 Then, a few weeks later, Israel blew up the ongoing talks by assassinating both Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas representative leading peace talks in Qatar, and Mohammed Deif, a top decision-maker inside Gaza. David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 But his strategy of deferring problems instead of seeking constructive solutions to them eventually blew up, resulting in the invasion of southern Israel and the deaths of 1,200 Israelis. Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 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
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
  • Ashley’s leg was shattered and the couple’s daughter was in a neck brace for months.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
  • If this tissue is shattered, all of the microbes inside of it spread into the water and change the nutrient composition.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 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 coronavirus pandemic snarled supply chains and raised labor and transportation costs.
    ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • But this year, the measure has become snarled in tensions over defense spending levels and the SAVE America Act.
    Chantelle Lee, Time, 22 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blew up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blew%20up. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster