blow up

blow up

1. Lit. [for something] to explode. •

The bomb might have blown up if the children had tried to move it.

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The firecracker blew up.

2. Fig. to burst into anger. •

I just knew you'd blow up.

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So she blew up. Why should that affect you so much?

3. Fig. an angry outburst; a fight. (Usually blowup.) •

After the third blowup, she left him.

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One blowup after another from you. Control your temper!

4. Fig. an enlarged version of a photograph, map, chart, etc. (Usually blowup.) •

Here's a blowup of the scene of the crime.

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Kelly sent a blowup of their wedding picture to all her relatives.

5. Fig. the ruination of something; the collapse of something. (Usually blowup.) •

The blowup in the financial world has ruined my chances for early retirement.

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After the blowup at the company, the top managers called one another to compare notes.

6. Fig. to fall apart or get ruined. •

The whole project blew up. It will have to be canceled.

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All my planning was blown up this afternoon.

7. [for a storm] to arrive accompanied by the blowing of the wind. •

A terrible storm blew up while we were in the movie theater.

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I was afraid that a rainstorm was blowing up.

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{v.} 1a. To break or destroy or to be destroyed by explosion. * /He blew up the plane by means of a concealed bomb./ * /The fireworks factory blew up when something went wrong in an electric switch./ 1b. {informal} To explode with anger or strong feeling; lose control of yourself. * /When Father bent the nail for the third time, he blew up./ Compare: BLOW A FUSE. 1c. To stop playing well in a game or contest, usually because you are in danger of losing or are tired; {especially}: To lose skill or control in pitching baseball. * /The champion blew up and lost the tennis match./ * /Our team was behind but the pitcher on the other team blew up and we got the winning runs./ 2. {informal} To be ruined as if by explosion; be ended suddenly. * /The whole scheme for a big party suddenly blew up./ 3a. To pump full of air; inflate. * /He blew his tires up at a filling station./ 3b. To make (something) seem bigger or important. * /It was a small thing to happen but the newspapers had blown it up until it seemed important./ 4. To bring on bad weather; also, to come on as bad weather. * /The wind had blown up a storm./ * /A storm had blown up./ 5. To copy in bigger form; enlarge. * /He blew up the snapshot to a larger size./