1
as in scene
an outburst or display of excited anger
the boss had another blowup when someone fouled up the copy machine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to anger
to become very angry
she blew up at everybody after a very long and very bad day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to detonate
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 to smash
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 to crack 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 blowup
Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
But more often than not, the blowups that surprise leaders usually come from something way simpler—the lack of clear direction.
—Dan Haiem, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 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
See All Example Sentences for blowup
Noun
Having an enormous blowup has never kept Taylor and Dakota from hooking up before.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
But more often than not, the blowups that surprise leaders usually come from something way simpler—the lack of clear direction.
—Dan Haiem, Forbes.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
Now, the Swedish flatpack giant believes its long-elusive obsession is, at long last, blowing up.
—Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 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
See All Example Sentences for blowup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowup
Noun
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But Jeffries, an outstanding student who typically went straight home from baseball practice to study, remained more of a spectator than a participant in the borough’s burgeoning hip-hop scene.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Set the scene One of the first things that jumps out at any of 1 Hotels' locations is the biophilic design.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
As previously reported, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius released thermal energy roughly equivalent to 100,000 times the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II, spewing molten rock, pumice, and hot ash over the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in particular.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 May 2026
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Its origin—Crater Lake formed following a volcanic eruption 7,700 years ago—only adds to the allure.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Set in 1986, the story follows two brothers, Irwin and Gary Pearl, whose get-rich scheme to help clean up the Gowanus Canal ends in disaster after Irwin (Teller), a nebbish family man, angers Russian mobsters by unwittingly witnessing their criminal activity.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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The delay angered rural Republicans, who wanted to see the farm bill passed.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The explosives didn’t detonate and were safely removed by law enforcement after the attack.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
The Trinity test, conducted as part of the Manhattan Project in the New Mexico desert, detonated a plutonium bomb that released the energy of 25 kilotons of TNT.—
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Authorities said the suspect then smashed into the store's jewelry counter, stealing nearly $10,000 worth of merchandise before walking out and fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
-
Suarez was caught on surveillance camera smashing into the Volkswagen Jetta on Amsterdam Ave.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Mark Toothaker, a stallion sales manager for Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, was on the couch cracking up with his wife, Malory, about the whiffed field goal and consequential turnover.—
Kelly O'Grady,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Among agonized grunts and huffs, Probst narrated the fumbles.—
Sarah Grant,
New Yorker,
2 Feb. 2026
-
David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Rubin, with the exquisite detail of its images, is well placed to find these types of events, in which stars disappear in explosions that can be too faint for other surveys to see.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
15 May 2026
-
In New York City, the explosion of rideshare pickups and last-mile delivery overwhelmed curbside infrastructure built for a different era.—
Chase Garbarino,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blowup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowup. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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