BLOWING UP Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

blowing up

verb

present participle of blow up

as in flaring (up)

to become very angry she blew up at everybody after a very long and very bad day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exploding

to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the building blew up because of a gas leak

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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 But more than that, the mill blowing up just couldn’t be possible. — Ethan Brooks, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 After flying for about an hour halfway around the world, the upper-stage portion of the Starship vehicle managed to land intact in the Indian Ocean – without blowing up. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 29 July 2026 Amal Clooney was spotted at the Milan airport in an unexpected travel style that had the InStyle group chat blowing up. — Eva Thomas, InStyle, 16 July 2026 And, more recently, Ukraine started blowing up Russian energy facilities. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 The Joker, dressed as a nurse, blowing up Gotham General Hospital. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 July 2026 Curry Barker’s world and the way YouTubers are blowing up the box office. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Ripley was honored for a heroic effort to halt the advance of North Vietnamese forces by blowing up a crucial bridge in 1972. — Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026 Navarrette is blowing up right now. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowing up

Verb

WestJet canceled 495 flights Sunday, snarling travel plans in Canada in the middle of a long holiday weekend.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
While that shutdown ostensibly ended in mid-November, a partial government shutdown dragged on through April, snarling the Department of Homeland Security and causing long delays and confusion at airports across the country.

— Drew Pittock, USA Today, 23 July 2026

Definition of snarling

Verb

This was the first time a Starship upper-stage survived a flight test without exploding either midflight or upon landing.

— Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Previous flights ended with the spacecraft engulfed in flames and exploding at splashdown — or rupturing in midair.

— Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 25 July 2026

Definition of exploding

Verb

Anna’s colleague Noa Toussaint (CCH Pounder) follows with a video of Max coercing his mistress into suicide, shattering the narrative that bought his freedom.

— JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
Twenty-nine single-family homes sold for $30 million or more in Miami-Dade in 2025, shattering the previous record of 15 homes in 2024.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Definition of shattering

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
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

Definition of cracking up

Verb

And the thousandth cut came when Raman launched her mayoral campaign without first consulting the local DSA chapter, angering organizers who felt the race stretched their resources too thin.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
Leaders of the Maine Democratic Party are still working toward a process to replace Graham Platner, without angering his supporters.

— Dan Merica, Washington Post, 9 July 2026

Definition of angering

Verb

Brown says the firm also explored investing in an Israeli start-up developing underground munitions capable of tunneling beneath targets before detonating, but that deal ultimately fell through.

— Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 22 July 2026
The video shows these drones flying into the Russian positions and detonating their payloads during the assault.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of detonating

Verb

Morton kosher salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often and smashing fruit with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, until plums are broken up and mixture thickens to a jammy consistency, 10–15 minutes.

— Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026
Beyond Medic's smashing victory in the main event, a few fighters made significant statements.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of smashing

Verb

Ahead of the 2026 football season, AJC Varsity is announcing our preseason all-state teams.

— Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness were married for 27 years before announcing their separation in September 2023 and finalizing their divorce in June 2025.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 31 July 2026