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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowing up
Verb
  • Laurie plays the snarling, villainous Richard Roper in the BBC and Prime Video’s big-budget adaptation of le Carré’s The Night Manager.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 June 2026
  • Anchored by irrepressible vocalist Amy Taylor, the Australian quartet channels frustration, defiance and anger surrounding big-picture issues with snarling cleverness, rabble-rousing fun and tidal hooks.
    Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
Verb
  • Atlanta trailed 25-13 after one quarter before exploding for 34 points in the second, the team's highest-scoring second quarter of the season, to flip the game entirely.
    Christopher Harris, CBS News, 15 June 2026
  • One video seemed to show an egg exploding on a pole near Wembanyama outside of the entrance to the team hotel.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • People in the crowd also took bats to five NYPD vehicles and jumped on them, shattering front and back windows, officials said.
    Mark Prussin, CBS News, 14 June 2026
  • Videos online showed Knicks fans stomping on Citi Bikes, climbing street lamps, shattering windows and attacking taxi cabs.
    Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 14 June 2026
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
Verb
  • In the biblical Tower of Babel story, humans are driven by hubris to try to create a tower tall enough to touch the sky, angering God in the process.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 25 May 2026
  • The retailer scaled back Pride displays and rolled back DEI programs, angering its liberal customers.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Verb
  • One culminated last year with abject disaster, with Karl Lysinger detonating his Oak Park house and dying in the process, months after the home was auctioned.
    Graham Womack May 18, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026
  • Cody Brundage's 44-second R2 knockout over Andre Petroski was the fastest of the night, and Khaos Williams returned to form by detonating a right hand on Nikolay Veretennikov for a vintage first-round TKO.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • Her fusions are even more radical than on previous releases, smashing together club beats, Egyptian darbuka, blasts of noise, and glowering features from Armand Hammer, Moor Mother, and BbyMutha.
    Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 9 Dec. 2025
  • Another cuts to Nina smashing dishes across the kitchen floor before being comforted by Enzo.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Hyppolite posted on his personal X account announcing his pledge.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 June 2026
  • Kate Middleton's first appearance after announcing her cancer diagnosis was at Trooping the Colour in 2024.
    Christopher Luu, InStyle, 13 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blowing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowing%20up. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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