plural blowups
: a blowing up: such as
a
b
: an outburst of temper
d
: a catastrophic financial failure or collapse
Sometime in the next few years, a blowup is likely—one that could sink an already foundering economy.—
David Henry
David Henry
: designed to be inflated before use : inflatable
Here on the south coast the unusually warm seas have been filled with the inflatable vessels … : blow-up kayaks, dinghies and paddleboards.—Ian Burrell
Ian BurrellSleeping in the car has now gone from rough and ready to the most comfortable outdoor experience—thanks to an ingenious blow-up mattress.—Becky Pemberton
Becky Pemberton
blew up; blown up; blowing up; blows up
1
: to build up or tout to an unreasonable extent
advertisers blowing up their products
2
: to rend apart, shatter, or destroy by explosion
3
: to fill up with a gas (such as air)
blow up a balloon
4
: to make a photographic enlargement of
5
: to bring into existence by blowing of wind
it may blow up a storm
6
: to overwhelm (something, such as a phone) with calls, messages, alerts, etc.
… say your friend is blowing up your phone with … messages while you're supposed to be focusing on something else.—Jake Peterson
Jake Peterson1
a
: explode
b
: to be disrupted or destroyed (as by explosion)
c
: to lose self-control
especially
: to become violently angry
2
: to become or come into being by or as if by blowing of wind
3
a
: to become filled with a gas
b
: to become expanded to unreasonable proportions
c
: to gain a large amount of weight
In the ensuing two years Gibson blew up to more than 400 pounds as he ate an over-abundance of fast foods …—Tim Crothers
Tim Crothers4
: to suddenly become very successful, prevalent, or popular
Latin-tinged pop is blowing up because it fits the musical times: …—Christopher John Farley
Christopher John FarleyExamples of blowup in a Sentence
Noun
The blowup of the photograph was easy to frame.
The two of them had a big blowup about something trivial.
The coach's latest blowup occurred when one of his players arrived late.
Verb
she blew up at everybody after a very long and very bad day
the building blew up because of a gas leak
Recent Examples on the Web
Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 June 2025
And there's history of the market going from existential panic to exhilarating audacity in a blink, such as when the 1998 near-bear market on hedge-fund blowups reversed to give way to the gluttonous risk binge of 1999.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 9 June 2025
Yun Li, CNBC, 10 June 2025
The messy blow-up between the president of the United States and the world’s richest man played out on their respective social media platforms after Trump was asked during a White House meeting with Germany’s new leader about Musk’s criticism of his spending bill.
—Michelle L. Price, Twin Cities, 6 June 2025
Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 20 June 2025
One of those blew up on its landing attempt while another was purposefully expended to get its payload to a higher orbital insertion.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blowup
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.
Noun
Despite the public blowup, administration officials told CBS News last week that there had been no efforts to oust officials who came from Musk's orbit.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 June 2025
And there's history of the market going from existential panic to exhilarating audacity in a blink, such as when the 1998 near-bear market on hedge-fund blowups reversed to give way to the gluttonous risk binge of 1999.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 9 June 2025
Adjective
As Elon Musk's public feud with President Donald Trump continues to unfold, a handful of stocks are emerging as possible beneficiaries if the billionaire CEO's various companies suffer from the stunning blow-up.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 10 June 2025
The messy blow-up between the president of the United States and the world’s richest man played out on their respective social media platforms after Trump was asked during a White House meeting with Germany’s new leader about Musk’s criticism of his spending bill.
—Michelle L. Price, Twin Cities, 6 June 2025
Verb
He’s also spoken out about death threats amid an NYPD hate crimes investigation into allegations that a man threatened to blow up his car.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 20 June 2025
One of those blew up on its landing attempt while another was purposefully expended to get its payload to a higher orbital insertion.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blowup
Cite this Entry
“Blowup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blowup. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
blowup
1 of 2 noun
blow·up
ˈblō-ˌəp 
blow up
2 of 2 verbˈblō-ˈəp
1
: to expand or become expanded to extraordinary size
2
: to fill up or become filled with a gas and especially air
blow up a balloon
3
: to make an enlargement of
blow up a photograph
4
a
: to destroy or become destroyed by explosion
b
: to become violently angry
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share