blowing up

Definition of blowing upnext
present participle of blow up
1
2
as in exploding
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 shattering
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 blowing up Alberto was redshirting his first season at Indiana, while the Hoosiers were blowing up in their first year under Cignetti. Seth Emerson, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026 What’s more, the combo is actually comfortable; of course, that depends on the shoes, but fitted sock booties like hers have been blowing up thanks to their, well, sock-like comfort. Eva Thomas, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026 What about destroying the stockpile by blowing up the canisters? Sheena Samu, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026 Since the early days of the pandemic — which is when many Stationerycore fans and creators at the festival date their stationery awakening — the stationery industry has been steadily expanding, even blowing up. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026 After years as a child and teen star, Moretz comes into her own as the leading lady, expressing an understandably selfish need to explore what could have been, at the risk of blowing up the wedding and her own relationships and friendships. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026 The gap between the fan’s triumphant bald selfie and the trade blowing up was half an hour. Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026 Aritzia opens location at Kenwood mall after blowing up on TikTok. Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Feb. 2026 After blowing up the friend group, Stephen tells Lucy to leave with him and, certainly not to the surprise of Van Patten or White, Lucy does. Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowing up
Verb
  • That is, until the union starts not-so-quietly exploding during a vicious screaming match at their home following a fundraising event.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026
  • When spring is in the air, there’s nothing quite like seeing a garden exploding in seasonal color.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The following week at the San Jose Invitational, Wilkins broke his own world record on three consecutive throws, shattering the 70-meter and 230-feet barriers along the way.
    Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The actress said that one night, her daughter, Luca, 28, witnessed her shattering framed photos of herself and Abrams and then using the glass shards to self-harm.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The dogs were confused, not sure whether to attack or run for cover, and Susan was cracking up.
    Sid Evans, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
  • The camera cut to O’Leary cracking up in the audience.
    Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • And some advanced mines have counters that will let a certain number of ships pass before detonating.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Named after the infamous Japanese suicide pilots of World War II, these kinds of drones can actively hunt for targets, track them, and then ram into them, detonating their explosive payloads.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In footage shared by the BBC on X, Medvedev, who suffered a 6-0 6-0 loss during the 49-minute match, was filmed smashing up his tennis racket six times and angrily tossing it across the court.
    Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
  • At the nearly 17-mile-long circular particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that sits deep below the French Alps, CERN scientists recreated the quark-gluon plasma by smashing together atomic nuclei of iron at near-light speed.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The week will be breezy, with winds blowing 10 mph to 15 mph from the northeast.
    Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Visibilities may drop below 1/4 mile due to falling and blowing snow.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Thiel says 200 workers spent Saturday demolishing the stair tower and elevator shaft, and then the focus shifts to the rest of the building.
    Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • The musician and fashion mogul began the process of demolishing the architectural gem, completely stripping its electricity, plumbing, bathrooms, and windows.
    India Roby, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Uttar Pradesh government moved quickly as well, announcing a 21 percent interim wage increase on Tuesday, effective retroactively from April 1.
    Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • If the late-night ecosystem were healthy, that appearance probably would have been announcing Johnson as the new Daily Show host, taking over for a permanent host who would be moving up to The Late Show.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blowing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowing%20up. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.

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