transitive verb
1. : to rend apart, shatter, or destroy by explosion — compare blow vt 7
2.
a. : to destroy or damage as if by explosion
many biographies have cruelly blown up the reputations of some of the great men in history
especially : to impair the validity, credibility, or significance of
these facts completely blew up the case against him
b. : to reprimand sharply or harshly
3.
a. : to fill with or as if with air
blowing up a balloon
b. : to inflate especially with pride or self-conceit
they blew him up to ridiculous proportions with their childish adulation
c. : to expand (as a relatively minor issue) to unreasonable proportions
it is easy to blow up the medical school out of all proportion to its place in the university structure — Morley Callaghan
4.
a. : to bring into existence (bad weather) — usually used with it as an impersonal nominative
it looks as though it may blow up a storm by nightfall
b. archaic : to stir up (as animosity, discord, anger) : excite , arouse
5.
a. : to make an enlargement of (as a photograph)
b. : to enlarge an image of a motion-picture film by optical printing from (a smaller one)
he blew up an 8 mm to a 16 mm film
c. : to enlarge (as original copy or cuts) photographically
intransitive verb
1.
a. of explosives : explode
all the charges blew up at once
b. : to be disrupted by explosion
it looked as though half the town had blown up
2.
a. : to be destroyed as if by explosion
saw his academic career blow up in a tabloid scandal — Time
b. : fail , collapse ; especially : to fail to stand up under careful scrutiny or stress
on further investigation the case blew up
many an experienced player blows up in his lines on opening night
c. : to lose self-control ; especially : to become violently angry or abusive
he finally blew up and fairly screamed with rage
3.
a. : to become filled with or as if with air : swell
this tire won't blow up, the valve must be blocked
b. : to become expanded especially to unreasonable proportions
this matter could blow up out of sight if someone doesn't set it straight
4.
a. of bad weather : to come in on or as if on a blowing of wind — often used with it as an impersonal nominative
it's going to blow up cold
b. : to come to the fore : appear suddenly or unexpectedly : arise without warning
where will the next international crisis blow up
a foolish argument blew up
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- blow up in one's face