blow away
Britishverb
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to kill (someone) by shooting
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to defeat decisively
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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]
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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.
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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.
Ben Stokes produced a superb six-over spell, taking five wickets for 23 runs after Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse had taken two wickets apiece to blow away the hosts' top order.
From BBC
Pleased, Alexander spread the picture on a windowsill and weighed the corners down with books so it would not blow away.
From Literature
We are tieing everything down so it will not blow away.
From Literature
When something like that happens, Mayor Jon Gramlich told me the other evening, it can make him fear that the town he so loves might “dry up and blow away.”
“Trees with roots don’t blow away,” she says as the interview comes to an end.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
