Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

blow up

VERB
inflate
Synonyms
STRONGEST
fill
WEAK
billow bloat distend enlarge expand inflate puff up pump up swell
Antonyms
WEAK
be calm deflate ignore let go let out shrink shrivel
VERB
explode
Synonyms
STRONGEST
blast bomb burst detonate dynamite erupt go off rupture shatter
WEAK
mushroom
Antonyms
STRONGEST
mend
WEAK
be calm deflate ignore let go let out shrink shrivel
VERB
magnify importance
Synonyms
WEAK
enlarge exaggerate heighten overstate
Antonyms
WEAK
be calm deflate ignore let go let out shrink shrivel
VERB
burst with anger
Synonyms
STRONGEST
erupt
WEAK
become angry become enraged go off the deep end hit the roof lose control lose temper rage rave
Antonyms
WEAK
be calm deflate ignore let go let out shrink shrivel
blow-up
NOUN
blast
Synonyms
STRONGEST
burst crash detonation eruption explosion outbreak outburst volley
STRONG
bang discharge dynamite salvo
NOUN
detonation
Synonyms
STRONGEST
ignition
STRONG
bang blast blowout boom discharge
NOUN
eruption
Synonyms
STRONGEST
blast breakout burst explosion flare-up outbreak outburst
STRONG
access discharge flow gust sally venting vomiting
Antonyms
STRONG
trickle
VERB
embroider
Synonyms
STRONGEST
embellish
STRONG
aggrandize amplify color distend dramatize elaborate enhance enlarge expand falsify fudge heighten hyperbolize lie magnify overdo overemphasize overestimate overstate pad puff romanticize stretch
WEAK
build up make federal case make mountain out of molehill overelaborate overembellish play up spread on thick stretch the truth yeast
Antonyms
STRONG
abridge compress condense contract curtail decrease diminish lessen lower reduce shorten shrink simplify

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If a migrant family worries that a medical shock, a job loss, or school fees could blow up their finances, the rational response is to bank cash.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

"I didn't expect it to blow up the way that it did if I'm being honest," Jordan admitted.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Or perhaps he was subconsciously looking for a way to blow up his own carefully constructed life.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

Citing sources in the Danish government, it reported that soldiers, medical supplies and blood were flown into Greenland in January to blow up key airport runways over fears that Trump would invade the arctic island.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

While Tyson helped my mom blow up party balloons, Paul Blofis asked me to help him in the kitchen.

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan