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Synonyms

blow away

British  

verb

  1. to kill (someone) by shooting

  2. to defeat decisively

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
blow away Idioms  

  1. Kill, especially by gunshot or explosion. For example, The unit reported that the whole village was blown away . This usage became particularly widespread in the 1960s, during the Vietnam War. [ Slang ; early 1990s]

  2. Overcome easily; defeat decisively. For example, Ann said the test would be easy; she would just blow it away , or Jim was sure his crew could blow away their opponents . [ Slang ; 1960s] Also see blow off , def. 5.

  3. Impress greatly, overwhelm with surprise, delight, or shock, as in That music really blew me away . [ Slang ; c. 1970] Also see blow one's mind .

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It took a wind of a different kind to blow away one smog control obstacle: political boundaries.

From Los Angeles Times

"Kepler-51 is a relatively active star, and its stellar winds should easily blow away the gasses from this planet, though the extent of this mass-loss over Kepler-51d's lifetime remains unknown," said Libby-Roberts, who is now an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Tampa.

From Science Daily

Chase staked out a ground tarp so it wouldn’t blow away, then staged a second tarp to pull over the boxes in case it started to rain.

From Literature

Many are ephemeral; fleeting leaf sculptures that blow away into the forest or giant snowballs placed in the city of London which melted to disclose sticks and stones.

From BBC

I think it’s that not-quite-there quality of hers, like she could blow away with a strong gust of wind.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.