1
as in scene
an outburst or display of excited anger
the boss had another blowup when someone fouled up the copy machine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to anger
to become very angry
she blew up at everybody after a very long and very bad day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to detonate
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 to smash
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 to crack 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 blowup
Jason Pu, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Precedents include the 1998 hedge-fund blowup, the 2011 U.S. debt-downgrade scare and the late-2018 tariff/Fed-mistake tumble.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2025
Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
When the story broke in the media a few weeks after production shut down, Ansari’s phone blew up.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blowup
Noun
For example, France’s Killian (Killian Emmanuel Treport) and Syssy (Sya Dembélé) tended to opt for punchy blowups that were just as, if not more memorable than the longer power move combinations from other competitors.
—Jason Pu, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
Precedents include the 1998 hedge-fund blowup, the 2011 U.S. debt-downgrade scare and the late-2018 tariff/Fed-mistake tumble.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
Morticia, however, disrupted the process by chopping off Isaac’s hand, leading the machine to blow up and kill Isaac.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
When the story broke in the media a few weeks after production shut down, Ansari’s phone blew up.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blowup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowup
Noun
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The restaurant still stands and Cianfrance says the scene with the meal is comprised of women from the church who remember Manchester from his time at Crossroads.—
Zach Dennis,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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He was charged with felony counts of leaving the scene of crash involving death, driving without a license causing death and resisting arrest, the sheriff’s office said.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Around the time of this flip, solar activity gradually ramps up, causing more solar eruptions like solar flares and coronal mass ejections.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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The tour also visits Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar’s only inhabited island, and the lava fields created by the 1973 volcanic eruption.—
Mia Taylor,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Robert Bianco, a longtime TV critic for USA Today, emphasized how strongly Levin supported him even when Bianco’s reviews angered Levin’s sources.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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Platner also worked as a contractor for Constellis, a successor to the security company Blackwater, which has angered some online activists.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Written by Herskovitz and directed by Zwick, the film about a terrorist group’s threat to detonate a nuclear bomb in Charleston, SC proved a ratings and critical winner.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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In September 2024, Israel blew up the group’s pagers, causing gruesome injuries as the devices detonated in Hezbollah operatives’ pockets.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Shoplifting became a political lighting rod, and videos of thieves smashing store windows and grabbing merchandise rocketed across the news and social media as a symbol of a breakdown across cities.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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The forward smashed a strike across the goalkeeper and into the top corner, before wheeling away in emotional celebration.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Are wealth and success all they're cracked up to be?—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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Apa and Cline are both cracking up now as Apa drops one more bomb.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Kemp looked at the ceiling and blew a huff of air when Schwartz announced the sentence.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
24 Aug. 2025
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Getty Images To date, the post has amassed more than 900 comments from TikTok viewers, many of them poking fun at the golden retriever mother's annoyed expression and shallow huffs.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Noun
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The more massive stars can produce heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, all the way up to iron, in a sequence of fusion reactions that end in a supernova explosion.—
Luke Keller,
Space.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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But two years ago, as the latest wave of artificial intelligence began reshaping education, Leskovec told Fortune he was rocked by the explosion of his field into the mainstream.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blowup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowup. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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