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.
England had threatened to blow away New Zealand in the second T20 when they reduced the tourists to 11-4.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
DoorDash revealed a set of financial results and guidance that didn’t blow away analyst expectations but the stock nonetheless was rallying on Thursday.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
DoorDash revealed a set of financial results and guidance that didn’t blow away analyst expectations but the stock nonetheless was rallying in premarket trade on Thursday.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
Luckily the unexpected havoc didn’t blow away all the good vibes.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
At least there was some breeze that day to blow away the smell.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
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.
