Synonyms

blow a fuse

Idioms

Also, blow a gasket. Lose one's temper, express furious anger. For example, When his paycheck bounced, John blew a fuse, or Tell Mom what really happened before she blows a gasket. An electric fuse is said to “blow” (melt) when the circuit is overloaded, whereas a gasket, used to seal a piston, “blows” (breaks) when the pressure is too high. The first of these slangy terms dates from the 1930s, the second from the 1940s. Also see blow one's top; keep one's cool.

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.

One of the crew’s fire engines — a “Type 6,” essentially a decked-out pickup truck — blew a fuse, leaving it stuck in park as a nearby home erupted into flames.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a great song pick with manic crescendos — You blow a fuse, zing boom!

From Los Angeles Times

His arms are folded tight and he looks ready to blow a fuse.

From Literature

What a pity the Serbia striker blew a fuse at Old Trafford.

From BBC

She knew what to do when we blew a fuse, how often the gutters should be cleared, and why the neighbours screamed at their television on weekends in winter – “the Rabbitohs are losing again”.

From The Guardian

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

blow a fuse

Example Sentences

Related Words