Meaning trap

blow up

become very angry

to suddenly become extremely angry and start shouting or reacting strongly.

phrasal verbB2common

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

become very angry

to suddenly become extremely angry and start shouting or reacting strongly.

blow up (explode)

Another meaning of 'blow up' is 'explode'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

My boss blew up at me when I missed the deadline.relationships
Sometimes, when people are under a lot of stress at work, they might blow up at their colleagues over small mistakes.IELTS speaking

Pattern: blow up (at someone)

WrongHe blew up with me over nothing.

RightHe blew up at me over nothing.

You blow up AT someone, not 'with'.

Patternblow up (at someone)

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff My father became extremely angry and began to shout.

Natural My dad just blew up at me.

'Blow up (at someone)' is the natural way to describe a sudden angry outburst; the formal version is flat.

Words that usually travel with it.

Different from 'calm down' (to become less angry).

blow up (explode) — Another meaning of 'blow up' is 'explode'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.