1.
If someone blows something up or if it blows up, it is destroyed by an explosion.
He was jailed for 45 years for trying to ~ a plane...
Their boat blew up as they slept.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V P, also V n P
2.
If you ~ something such as a balloon or a tyre, you fill it with air.
Other than blowing up a tyre I hadn’t done any car maintenance.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), also V n P
3.
If a wind or a storm blows up, the weather becomes very windy or stormy.
A storm blew up over the mountains.
PHRASAL VERB: V P
4.
If you ~ at someone, you lose your temper and shout at them. (INFORMAL)
I’m sorry I blew up at you...
When Myra told Karp she’d expose his past, he blew up.
= explode
PHRASAL VERB: V P at n, V P
5.
If someone blows an incident up or if it blows up, it is made to seem more serious or important than it really is.
Newspapers blew up the story...
The media may be blowing it up out of proportion...
The scandal blew up into a major political furore.
PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V n P, V P prep/adv, also V P
6.
If a photographic image is blown up, a large copy is made of it.
The image is blown up on a large screen.
...two blown up photos of Paddy.
PHRASAL VERB: be V-ed P, V-ed P, also V P n (not pron), V n P
7.
see also blow-up