blowing up

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 That’s why the Springsteen arguments are blowing up like the Chicken Man. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025 Since then, her phone has been blowing up. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025 Some of my WhatsApp chats were blowing up as family and friends who were also on tenterhooks constantly posted pics and videos. Grace White, Essence, 29 Oct. 2025 In 1996, Independence Day caused a stir with a Super Bowl spot that showed an alien ship blowing up the White House. Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025 And to be thrown into now this separation and exploding, blowing up her family this way. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025 To be thrown into, now, this separation and exploding, blowing up her family this way. Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025 At the same time, Netanyahu did — and still does — everything possible to weaken the Palestinian Authority, which cooperates every day with Israeli security services to keep the West Bank from blowing up. Thomas Friedman, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025 Warner had already made his presence felt early, blowing up a screen pass for a 2-yard loss on Tampa Bay’s initial possession. Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowing up
Verb
  • The plane then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Many of them are desperately struggling to protect their homes – for some, their only source of wealth – in the face of exploding rents and threats of eviction.
    Cassie Powell, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The user shared another clip in the thread that followed, showing the G1 breaking into a room like a burglar, shattering a glass door.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
  • But to have somebody that's a main character like that actually get killed was something that was shattering to everybody.
    Sabienna Bowman, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Viewer Reactions The TikTok video left viewers cracking up, and as of Tuesday, the clip had amassed over 526,000 views and 48,600 views.
    Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In between detonating bombs hidden in Christmas presents and disfiguring the entire police force, Art sets his sights on the Shaw family.
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
  • In July 2011, a Norwegian neo-Nazi went on a rampage, detonating a bomb in Oslo, Norway, before opening fire at a Labour Party youth camp on nearby Utoya Island.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The ceremony involved smashing a bottle of champagne into the hull of the submarine, which Navy Commander Admiral Aleksandr Moiseev did.
    Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The situation is likely to seem even more bizarre to some people, after a video was released Tuesday, showing Perry picking up a birthday cake presented to her by her Lifetimes Tour backup dancers and smashing it on the ground.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • What To Know In , the Kuskokwim Delta Coast and Nunivak Island are expected to see blowing snow and strong southeasterly winds from early Sunday morning through the afternoon.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The military showed us a map of Hamas tunnel routes Israeli forces are still discovering and demolishing in the area.
    Daniel Estrin, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Most recently, crews began demolishing the East Wing of the White House.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • After announcing their engagement in April 2023, Brown and Bongiovi tied the knot in May 2024.
    Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • A day after announcing its Q3 numbers, Solera published Cunha’s undated offer letter.
    Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Blowing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowing%20up. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

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