blow up — 3 meanings

One phrase, 3 different jobs. Tap a meaning to jump to it — then lock each one in by saying it out loud.

phrasal verb3 meanings

1 explodeto burst or break apart suddenly and violently, often with a loud noise.
2 become very angryto suddenly become extremely angry and start shouting or reacting strongly.
3 escalate rapidlyto become much more serious or intense very quickly, especially in reference to a situation, argument, or conflict.

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explode

B1blow up sthMost common

to burst or break apart suddenly and violently, often with a loud noise.

The old factory blew up after the fire reached the gas tanks.

A: Did you hear that loud noise last night?
B: Yeah, something blew up near the train station.

In my hometown, there was an accident where a gas pipe blew up, and it caused a lot of damage to nearby buildings.

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).

Tell it apart

The car blew up in the crash.

exploded

The tyre blew out on the motorway.

burst suddenly

Use 'blow up' when talking about something exploding, like a balloon or a building.Not the same as 'blow out' (to extinguish) or 'blow over' (to pass without serious effect).

Often paired with

blow up (explode)

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become very angry

B2blow up sthspokeninformal

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

My boss blew up at me when I missed the deadline.

A: Why is Sarah so upset?
B: She blew up at Tom because he forgot her birthday.

Sometimes, when people are under a lot of stress at work, they might blow up at their colleagues over small mistakes.

Common mistake

✗He blew up with me over nothing.

✓He blew up at me over nothing.

You blow up AT someone, not 'with'.

Tell it apart

He blew up at me over a tiny thing.

lost his temper, shouted

He opened up to me about it.

talked honestly about his feelings

Use 'blow up' to describe someone losing their temper quickly.Different from 'calm down' (to become less angry).

Often paired with

blow up at someone

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escalate rapidly

C1blow up into sth

to become much more serious or intense very quickly, especially in reference to a situation, argument, or conflict.

What started as a minor disagreement quickly blew up into a major conflict between the two departments.

A: Did you hear about the meeting yesterday?
B: Yeah, things really blew up when the budget cuts were announced.

If negotiations are not handled carefully, a small misunderstanding can easily blow up into a significant diplomatic crisis.

Common mistake

✗The scandal blew up into the news.

✓The scandal blew up overnight. / The story blew up in the news.

Here 'blow up' = suddenly become big or serious; don't add 'into the news'.

Tell it apart

The argument blew up out of nothing.

escalated fast

The argument died down quickly.

calmed and faded

'Blow up' in this sense is used figuratively to describe situations, arguments, or problems that suddenly become much more serious. It is common in both spoken and written English, especially in news, business, and academic contexts.Unlike the B1 sense ('explode'), this sense is not literal and does not refer to physical destruction. It also differs from the B2 sense ('become very angry'), as it describes the escalation of a situation, not a person's emotional reaction.

Often paired with

blow up (situation)

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explode become very angry escalate rapidly