phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb

blow up

to explode violently

What it means

To explode violently, or to destroy something with an explosion. It can also mean to lose your temper suddenly, or to become very popular very quickly, especially online.

Examples

  • The old building was blown up to make room for a new park.
  • Be careful, the gas leak could cause the kitchen to blow up.
  • He blew up at me for being five minutes late.
  • Her video blew up overnight and got millions of views.

Where it comes from

Separable: 'blow it up' or 'blow up a balloon'. The 'lose your temper' sense is informal, and the 'become popular' sense is recent, driven by social media.

Related phrasal verbs

#break down#break out#tear up#throw up

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