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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Ukrainian drones now pummel industrial targets across Russia nightly, shutting down oil refineries, snarling logistics, and forcing airports to close for days at a time.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Finally, should the government have more control over the exploding field of artificial intelligence?—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
-
This means black holes go out with a bang, with lower-mass PBHs exploding at different epochs of the universe.—
Jonathan O'Callaghan,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Over the prairie there would be lightning that evening, dropping in shattering bolts from swollen purple clouds.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Renowned for his defense-shattering runs, vision, and dribbling, his time at FC Barcelona was legendary.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 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
-
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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The Star, which also looked into the killing, revealed that Jordan’s associations with organized crime figures, as well as his apparent disregard for angering them, likely contributed to his death.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2026
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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
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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Video shows a gang of Pokémon card thieves smashing display cases at a New Jersey hobby store and filling a trash bag with thousands of dollars worth of collectibles, according to police.—
Nick Caloway,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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In 2016, voters were asked to choose between a populist candidate dogged by questions about his integrity, judgment, decency, civility, empathy, and respect for everyone from complete strangers to his own wife, and an overqualified, glass-ceiling-smashing woman.—
Shannon A. Mullen,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Verb
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To jumpstart the week of sessions and forums centered around technology and design, Apple will host a keynote presentation, announcing the latest software and products coming to users.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
-
The Chicago Bears appeared to take another step toward leaving Chicago on Friday, announcing that their board of directors met and voted to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, Ind.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blowing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowing%20up. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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