BLOWUP Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

blowup 1 of 2

noun

ˈblō-ˌəp

Definition of blowup

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

as in eruption

the act or an instance of exploding the last blowup of the volcano flattened trees for miles around

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blow up

2 of 2

verb

as in to anger

to become very angry she blew up at everybody after a very long and very bad day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to detonate

to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the building blew up because of a gas leak

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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 blowup

Noun

In movies, friendships end with a big blowup after there has been a significant betrayal by one party. — Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 2 July 2026 The history of peacemaking – from Kadesh to the Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian war, to the Belfast Agreement that halted the 30-year sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland – shows that public blowups and threats to walk out are normal stages, not proof of failure. — Monica Duffy Toft, The Conversation, 25 June 2026

Verb

There’s a lot more competition now, especially with the celebrity beauty brands and the indie or niche brands that are blowing up on TikTok, which is a super popular platform for discovering new beauty products. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 Gunpowder, a miniseries from 2017, was set in 1603 with Harington playing Robert Catesby, a charismatic Catholic nobleman, who decides to blow up the Houses of Parliament with the King inside. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for blowup

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowup

Noun

Police arrived at the scene after the then-8-year-old girl called 911 from inside the car, Teymouri said.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
The settlers hurled stones with slings and set the groves on fire, chasing a group of journalists about 80 yards from the scene.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of scene

Noun

Xu Fu and Ma Junsheng also play surrogate dads to Seif, whose increasingly violent eruptions threaten to change the course of his life more than once.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
The designation indicates heightened volcanic activity and the potential for an eruption, or an eruption underway with limited hazards to aviation.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of eruption

Verb

No commercial goods have entered the Gaza Strip for two days, Israeli authorities said Thursday, blaming the suspension on merchants angered by taxes imposed by the militant group Hamas — a claim that Palestinian importers deny.

— Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The dispute over the report, which tackled an issue close to Weiss, forced CBS News to delay promotion of the episode and angered Stahl, who felt compelled to defend her reporting at a late stage of production.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of anger

Verb

An operation in Kenscoff In the mists of the steep hills that ring southern Port-au-Prince, CNN saw one Task Force operation where helicopters manned by foreign contractors assaulted gang positions, and drones detonated amid the clatter of gunfire.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
The police response has drawn criticism following an incident last week in which a 15-year-old boy lost his hand and part of his lower arm after picking up a police dispersal grenade that detonated during a demonstration in Lens.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of detonate

Verb

In Tirana this week, protesters smashed windows, set alight government buildings and clashed with police.

— Reuters, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
Federal officials maintain the immigration officers believed their lives were in danger and opened fire only after Belgal smashed his car into two government vehicles and accelerated toward them.

— Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of smash

Verb

The crowd cracked up in grim commiseration (as a Mets fan, Winter could probably sympathize).

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
At one point, the pair crack up while lying in the same bed, and later, the Eras headliner knocks a cup off a sink, making the Fifty Shades of Grey actress break character.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of crack up

Noun

In the 1960s America launched the Vela fleet of satellites, whose sole task was to look at Earth’s surface and search for any telltale neutrons, x-rays and gamma rays—extremely high-energy particles—coming from a nuclear explosion.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Most of these fragments were generated by explosions and orbital collisions that shattered satellites and used rocket stages into clouds of dangerous debris.

— Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of explosion

Browse Nearby Words

blow the whistle (on)

blowup

blow up

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Blowup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowup. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of blowup

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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