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
SpaceX has been blowing up Starship rockets left and right, and the space nerds seem to be cheering them on.
—
Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
At the time, teen powerhouses like Aaliyah, Brandy, and Monica were blowing up the charts and Interscope was hoping Mýa could be their own proverbial cash cow.
—Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 18 May 2026
About to hit rock bottom, Peter is therefore oblivious to the +44 numbers that are blowing up his phone, until the caller — a British clubber called Edison (the fantastic Kirby Howell-Baptiste) — arrives on his doorstep.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Now, the Swedish flatpack giant believes its long-elusive obsession is, at long last, blowing up.
—Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
The wires are crossing, the cover stories are blowing up.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Kimberly Shaw blowing up the apartment building at the end of season 4 is a core memory for fans.
—Andrea Lavinthal, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
At the time, teen powerhouses like Aaliyah, Brandy, and Monica were blowing up the charts and Interscope was hoping Mýa could be their own proverbial cash cow.
—Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 18 May 2026
About to hit rock bottom, Peter is therefore oblivious to the +44 numbers that are blowing up his phone, until the caller — a British clubber called Edison (the fantastic Kirby Howell-Baptiste) — arrives on his doorstep.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Now, the Swedish flatpack giant believes its long-elusive obsession is, at long last, blowing up.
—Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
The wires are crossing, the cover stories are blowing up.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Kimberly Shaw blowing up the apartment building at the end of season 4 is a core memory for fans.
—Andrea Lavinthal, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowing up
Verb
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Today, the worldwide launch rate has risen to roughly 125 launches annually, with the number exploding in 2018.—
David Szondy
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2026
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In 2025, a capacity crowd was exploding for her, the biggest star in the sport, triumphing on one of its biggest stages once again.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Those strikes heavily damaged the bases, burying most tunnel entrances under mountains of debris and shattering roads leading to the sites.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
As the pattern settled in, summer heat finally arrived across the northern tier, shattering nearly 50 records, with temperatures up to 20 degrees above average, Fox Weather reported.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Investigators found that Aliji intended to drive a Volkswagen Beetle equipped with fake police sirens and flashing blue lights toward crowds outside the venue before detonating explosives concealed inside a Red Bull can.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
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Its material originated during October 1977 sessions at Memphis’ Ardent Studios, where the original lineup — the late Lux Interior, Poison Ivy, Bryan Gregory and Nick Knox — worked with Chilton shortly before detonating the underground rock landscape.—
SPIN Staff,
SPIN,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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The attack happened in an area where security forces are usually stationed, badly damaging nearby buildings and smashing more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road, according to witnesses and images circulating on social media.—
Abdul Sattar,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Not because the Dodgers’ reliever gave up three runs in the eighth inning to the Philadelphia Phillies, blowing a save opportunity and getting tagged with his first loss of the season.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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The plants store electricity generated by large solar and wind farms to release back on the power grid at night when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The plan involves demolishing the building and constructing a near-replica on the same Beatties Ford Road footprint.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
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Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
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The American Black Film Festival wrapped its final full day of programming for its 30th anniversary edition by announcing the winners of the 2026 festival at the Best of ABFF Awards.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
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City have been in the market for a left-back, announcing on Friday that Leila Ouahabi, who primarily played at left-back but also featured at left centre-back in head coach Andree Jeglertz’s first season, will leave the club when her contract expires this summer.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blowing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowing%20up. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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