blowout

American  

[bloh-out] / ˈbloʊˌaʊt /

noun

• blowouts
  plural

1. a sudden bursting or rupture of an automobile tire.

2. a sudden or violent escape of air, steam, or the like.

3. a hollow formed in a region of shifting sands or light soil by the action of the wind.

4. an uncontrollable escape of oil, gas, or water from a well.

5. a service at a hair salon in which the hair is blow-dried and styled.

6. Aeronautics. flame-out.

7. Slang. a lavish party or entertainment.

8. Slang. a decisive victory or defeat.

9.  blowout sale.  Slang. a sale featuring very large discounts.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• blowouts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of blowout

First recorded in 1815–25; noun use of verb phrase blow out

Explanation

When something stops working or breaks down, you can call it a blowout. The blowout of a city's electrical system can be a particularly big problem. A blowout most often involves air or gas pressure — a blowout when you're driving on the highway is a popped tire. You can also use the word to mean a really easy victory in sports, like your favorite football team's blowout victory over its rival. Yet another meaning of blowout is a fabulous party: "Let's have a blowout to celebrate your twenty-first birthday!" The original, colloquial American meaning of blowout was "outburst," or what might today be called a "blow up."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blowout blowouts

The server maker reported what analysts said was a blowout quarter, as revenue for its AI server business doubled relative to a year before.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Stocks did get a boost Thursday, after another blowout quarter from Nvidia quelled concern about cooling demand for AI chips.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

In a highly anticipated report, the world's most valuable company shattered forecasts by unveiling revenues more than doubled on-year in the second quarter and said it expected another blowout in July-September.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Over the weekend, a supremely happy-seeming Dudamel, before heading to the New York Philharmonic in a couple weeks, milked the thanks in a back-to-the-Bowl, four-night blowout.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

The workout was critical; the colt was scheduled to race and needed a blowout.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

And even when there have been blowouts or tense draws, they have still been entertaining.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Now, after the biggest string of blowouts in playoff history, the Knicks sit four games away from the franchise’s first championship since 1973.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

This past summer Wi Spa also opened a salon for blowouts, called Root Style Bar, adjacent to its women’s dressing room.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026

What might matter is that while UConn and South Carolina, Texas and LSU delivered their best spirit- and soul- and confidence-crushing blowouts, the Lancers and the Cowgirls left Pauley Pavilion feeling good about themselves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

They had had seven blowouts on the way.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Related Words

• eruption
• rupture