blowup
Americannoun
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an explosion.
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a violent argument, outburst of temper, or the like, especially one resulting in estrangement.
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Also blow-up an enlargement of a photograph.
Etymology
Origin of blowup
First recorded in 1800–10; noun use of verb phrase blow up
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.
The blowup over Cracker Barrel’s new logo had dented business, and its stock started the New Year at around $25 a share, its lowest level since the 2008 economic downturn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
It wasn’t so long ago that one thing took major stock indexes down overnight: the blowup of the Japanese yen “carry trade.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
The break followed what he described as a blowup at a Cheesecake Factory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
He cited Nvidia’s use of circular financing deals to help fund some of its biggest customers, which he thought could lead to a dot-com-like blowup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Children wearing what few clothes they had—which even that was only for our benefit, I knew, after Father’s blowup over the little dress-code problem.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
