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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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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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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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 Your phone is blowing up with text messages urging you to vote. — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 3 Nov. 2026 The bombshell ended up blowing up in the face of Rogers, the GOP and Stevens’ own face after a car crash of a CNN primetime interview with Anderson Cooper went way off the rails. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026 At Netanyahu's election night party on Tuesday in Jerusalem, giant screens played Hollywood-style videos of soldiers marching, airstrikes blowing up buildings and other destruction. — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026 Beyond pressuring quarterbacks and blowing up run plays behind the line of scrimmage, Harris has also forced three fumbles on the season. — Steven Johnson october 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026 You’ve been clocked in on TikTok from the second the song started blowing up again. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2026 With a tornado warning in effect Sunday afternoon, workers had decided to forgo blowing up the oversized lawn ornament. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 There’s a lot more competition now, especially with the celebrity beauty brands and the indie or niche brands that are blowing up on TikTok, which is a super popular platform for discovering new beauty products. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 Arriving well before crowds gathered at the Northbrook Plan Commission’s special public hearing, Lee Goodman started blowing up red balloons. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowing up

Verb

In the front yard of a home on Bray Road, there’s a huge snarling Beast carved out of an old diseased elm tree, held in place by heavy steel chains.

— Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Kerry McCoy’s guitar juices up a mid-song gallop by abruptly pivoting from big and noisy to compressed and snarling; at the climax, everything cuts out for a second to spotlight a Daniel Tracy drum fill.

— Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of snarling

Verb

In August, a fire triggered by an exploding air conditioner killed 14 newborns in a nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
Why biomarker testing is exploding right now Patients want more control and faster answers.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of exploding

Verb

Plus, Skullcandy's Crusher Bass technology utilizes dedicated bass drivers to really give you a head-banging experience, sending bone-shattering bass pulsating through your skull.

— George Yang, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
An August heat wave brought record-shattering temperatures to Southern California.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of shattering

Verb

What’s more, cracking up triggers chemical changes that prompt the inner lining of blood vessels to dilate and improve blood flow.

— Don Riddell, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of cracking up

Verb

Data center demand began driving up electric bills last year across a 13-state electricity grid stretching from Illinois to New Jersey and Maryland, angering ratepayers.

— Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Indeed, the survey showed that use of the horn is the most common action when drivers consider another driver to be annoying or angering them.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of angering

Verb

Akhtar the author, though, is conducting a stealthy psyop aimed at detonating the certainties of combatants on both sides.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Jentleson compares the power of fusing race and these questions of fairness to detonating a nuclear warhead.

— Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of detonating

Verb

Protests last week devolved into mayhem, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police.

— ELITSA GADEVA, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
This was the 36th launch and landing for B1063, which notably launched NASA's DART asteroid-smashing mission in November 2021.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of smashing

Verb

As Hinojosa gained in the polls this summer, Abbott reversed his position on data centers, announcing a moratorium on new developments and an audit on the use of water and energy.

— Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
In her new role, Danielle will help celebrate her aunt's life and accomplishments while offering a personal perspective on the woman behind the music, according to a press release announcing the appointment.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026