blow away

British  

verb

1. to kill (someone) by shooting

2. to defeat decisively

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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 .

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Example Sentences

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

“I don’t expect Intel to blow away the numbers. The only thing I think could be a real fundamental surprise would be confirmation of Apple, or confirmation of other partners—not rumors, but actual partners—for their latest manufacturing technology,” said Paul Meeks, head of technology research at Freedom Capital Markets.

From Barron's

I had to tie my straw bonnet firmly under my chin lest it blow away in the wind as we picked up speed.

From Literature

Related Words

• amaze
• astonish
• astound
• bemuse
• bewilder
• confound
• confuse
• daze
• dumbfound
• flabbergast
• knock out
• overcome
• overpower
• overwhelm
• paralyze
• rock
• shake up
• surprise