blow up — explode
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to burst or break apart suddenly and violently, often with a loud noise.
Say it like a native
Textbook The device detonated, causing significant damage.
Native The whole thing blew up.
'Blow up' is the everyday verb for exploding; 'detonated' is technical/military.
Pattern: blow up (something) / blow (something) up
In use
- The old factory blew up after the fire reached the gas tanks.daily life
- In my hometown, there was an accident where a gas pipe blew up, and it caused a lot of damage to nearby buildings.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The bomb blew off in the street.
✓ The bomb blew up in the street.
'Blow up' = explode; 'blow off' means something else (e.g. skip / ignore).
Common collocations
blow up (explode)— the building, a bomb, into pieces, accidentally
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'blow out' (to extinguish) or 'blow over' (to pass without serious effect).
Related
- blow up (become very angry) — Another meaning of 'blow up' is 'become very angry'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.