1
as in flaring (up)
to become very angry
she blew up at everybody after a very long and very bad day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in cracking 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 blowing up
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
While waiting for flights to resume, Charli’s character Bethany flirts with the idea of blowing up her life by rekindling a romance with an old friend who owns a flower shop in Warsaw.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
Amal Clooney was spotted at the Milan airport in an unexpected travel outfit that had the InStyle group chat blowing up.
—Eva Thomas, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
With Heated Rivalry absolutely blowing up, perhaps Arnaud will be in the 2026 class?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
The then 22-year-old singer soon had producers blowing up his phone.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Santa Clara, California — Mike Vrabel made his nnname in the NFL as a crunching outside linebacker, delivering punishment to opposing offenses and blowing up their plays on his way to winning multiple Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
The history of first-year coaches blowing up their staff after their first year is even thinner.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
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
While waiting for flights to resume, Charli’s character Bethany flirts with the idea of blowing up her life by rekindling a romance with an old friend who owns a flower shop in Warsaw.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
Amal Clooney was spotted at the Milan airport in an unexpected travel outfit that had the InStyle group chat blowing up.
—Eva Thomas, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
With Heated Rivalry absolutely blowing up, perhaps Arnaud will be in the 2026 class?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
The then 22-year-old singer soon had producers blowing up his phone.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Santa Clara, California — Mike Vrabel made his nnname in the NFL as a crunching outside linebacker, delivering punishment to opposing offenses and blowing up their plays on his way to winning multiple Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
The history of first-year coaches blowing up their staff after their first year is even thinner.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowing up
Verb
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The creative industries there were exploding.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Feb. 2026
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Ratner, of course, earned Hollywood over $2 billion with his blockbusters about gunfire and exploding cars.—
Amy Nicholson,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This happens when heavy rain or snowmelt raises the river level, shattering the existing ice cover.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The first attempt ended in shattering disappointment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The camera cut to O’Leary cracking up in the audience.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Winner This week's winner left us cracking up with his acting skills.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The statement said the attacker on Friday opened fire on security guards who tried to stop him at the main gate before detonating his explosive vest after reaching the mosque's inner gate.—
MUNIR AHMED,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
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The statement said the attacker on Friday opened fire on security guards who tried to stop him at the main gate before detonating his explosive vest after reaching the mosque’s inner gate.—
Munir Ahmed,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Intriguingly, the lunar surface is littered with craters that record the chaotic early days of the solar system when planets and asteroids were smashing into one another.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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Images and videos flooded social media of immigration law enforcement’s violent encounters with protesters, including shooting rubber bullets, spraying chemical agents at close range and smashing car windows.—
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Reality Check makes a point to mention ad nauseam that much of the public backlash toward America’s Next Top Model took hold following the pandemic, when a majority of people were blowing through their to-watch queue, desperately seeking fresh viewing fodder.—
Hunter Lacey,
Allure,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Converting Gary Works to an Electric Arc Furnace facility would mean shutting down the entire plant, demolishing it, and building new facilities.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
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The plans accommodate through-running train capacity without demolishing the neighborhood south of Penn.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The masterful composer managed to match director George Lucas' vision with an opening theme that fit the bill, announcing the sea change with a blast of brass that no doubt caused first-time viewers to jump in their seats.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
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The social media post announcing the closure of the bicycle shop received nearly 300 reactions and almost 100 comments from past customers as of Friday.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blowing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowing%20up. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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