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
Aritzia opens location at Kenwood mall after blowing up on TikTok.
—
Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Feb. 2026
After blowing up the friend group, Stephen tells Lucy to leave with him and, certainly not to the surprise of Van Patten or White, Lucy does.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
While waiting for flights to resume, Charli’s character Bethany flirts with the idea of blowing up her life by rekindling a romance with an old friend who owns a flower shop in Warsaw.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
Amal Clooney was spotted at the Milan airport in an unexpected travel outfit that had the InStyle group chat blowing up.
—Eva Thomas, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
With Heated Rivalry absolutely blowing up, perhaps Arnaud will be in the 2026 class?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
The then 22-year-old singer soon had producers blowing up his phone.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Santa Clara, California — Mike Vrabel made his nnname in the NFL as a crunching outside linebacker, delivering punishment to opposing offenses and blowing up their plays on his way to winning multiple Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
The history of first-year coaches blowing up their staff after their first year is even thinner.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Feb. 2026
After blowing up the friend group, Stephen tells Lucy to leave with him and, certainly not to the surprise of Van Patten or White, Lucy does.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
While waiting for flights to resume, Charli’s character Bethany flirts with the idea of blowing up her life by rekindling a romance with an old friend who owns a flower shop in Warsaw.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
Amal Clooney was spotted at the Milan airport in an unexpected travel outfit that had the InStyle group chat blowing up.
—Eva Thomas, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
With Heated Rivalry absolutely blowing up, perhaps Arnaud will be in the 2026 class?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
The then 22-year-old singer soon had producers blowing up his phone.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Santa Clara, California — Mike Vrabel made his nnname in the NFL as a crunching outside linebacker, delivering punishment to opposing offenses and blowing up their plays on his way to winning multiple Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
The history of first-year coaches blowing up their staff after their first year is even thinner.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowing up
Verb
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Plowden made his presence felt early, exploding to the basket for a dunk before hitting a 3-pointer later in the first quarter.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Between the 1919 Black Sox scandal and the 2005 World Series title, two-time White Sox owner Bill Veeck was a sports marketing pioneer, literally adding fireworks to the fan experience with the first exploding scoreboard at the original Comiskey Park.—
Ryan Baker,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From thunderous victory to shattering downfall, this play delivers sweeping action sequences, political intrigue, and a theatrical experience that hits with the force of a battle drum.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
That burst of momentum came in a primary that was already shattering spending records.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
-
The camera cut to O’Leary cracking up in the audience.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Experts also reported little evidence that Iran is actively resuming its efforts to enrich uranium, let alone building a bomb-detonating mechanism.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
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There are other photographs of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor taken in dark rooms with a flash detonating straight into his face.—
Christopher Anderson,
Vanity Fair,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Costco recommends wrapping it in a towel and smashing it into pieces with a hammer.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Vulture hosted a special screening of the pilot with ABC on March 3, and Speedman answered all of our questions about smashing props and doing his own stunts.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Wolves were determined to run him off the 3-point line in an effort to limit his effectiveness, but Bane countered by putting the ball on the floor and blowing by Minnesota’s perimeter defenders all game.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Ice crystals skittered across the plateau, catching in the curve of the sastrugi before blowing free.—
Cree LeFavour,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The arena, which would host sports, concerts and other events, is is expected to cost around $242 million to build, though the entire renovation, which includes demolishing the 58-year-old Millet Hall and installing parking near Cook Field, could cost up to $281 million.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
27 Feb. 2026
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Other possibilities involve demolishing the structure for street-level transit or repurposing it as a pedestrian and bicycle trail.—
David Bauerlein,
Florida Times-Union,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sedena Anti-theft Crossbody Bag This is the kind of bag that blends into a city outfit rather than announcing itself as travel gear.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported officials were close to announcing a successor for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in Israeli strikes at the start of the war.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blowing up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowing%20up. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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