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.
Following the blowup with the Pentagon, Amodei told CBS News that Congress should weigh in on how AI could be used for mass surveillance in ways that he suggested haven’t caught up with current laws.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
That may have reached its limits with the blowup over Powell.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
That should have a negative impact on the market—and that assumes no blowup in the bond market or anything like that.
From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026
The U.S. could follow if there’s another major blowup.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025
A blowup of the film found inside the coin arrived at the desk of Robert Lamphere, an FBI counterintelligence agent in Washington, D.C.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
