phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb
blow up
to explode violently
What it means
To explode violently, or to destroy something with an explosion. It can also mean to lose your temper suddenly, or to become very popular very quickly, especially online.
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Examples
- The old building was blown up to make room for a new park.
- Be careful, the gas leak could cause the kitchen to blow up.
- He blew up at me for being five minutes late.
- Her video blew up overnight and got millions of views.
Where it comes from
Separable: 'blow it up' or 'blow up a balloon'. The 'lose your temper' sense is informal, and the 'become popular' sense is recent, driven by social media.
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