blow up

verb

1. cause to burst with a violent release of energy (Freq. 4)

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We exploded the nuclear bomb

• Syn: ↑explode, ↑detonate, ↑set off

• Derivationally related forms: ↑blowup, ↑detonative (for: ↑detonate), ↑detonation (for: ↑detonate), ↑detonator (for: ↑detonate), ↑explosion (for: ↑explode)

• Hypernyms: ↑change integrity

• Hyponyms: ↑fulminate, ↑dynamite

• Cause: ↑detonate, ↑explode

• Verb Frames:

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Somebody ——s something

2. make large (Freq. 1)

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blow up an image

• Syn: ↑enlarge, ↑magnify

• Ant: ↑reduce

• Derivationally related forms: ↑magnitude (for: ↑magnify), ↑magnification (for: ↑magnify), ↑magnifier (for: ↑magnify), ↑enlargement (for: ↑enlarge), ↑enlarger (for: ↑enlarge), ↑blowup

• Topics: ↑photography, ↑picture taking

• Hypernyms: ↑increase

• Verb Frames:

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Somebody ——s something

3. add details to

• Syn:

↑embroider, ↑pad, ↑lard, ↑embellish, ↑aggrandize, ↑aggrandise, ↑dramatize, ↑dramatise

• Derivationally related forms: ↑drama (for: ↑dramatize), ↑aggrandisement (for: ↑aggrandise), ↑aggrandizement (for: ↑aggrandize), ↑embellishment (for: ↑embellish), ↑embroidery (for: ↑embroider)

• Hypernyms:

↑overstate, ↑exaggerate, ↑overdraw, ↑hyperbolize, ↑hyperbolise, ↑magnify, ↑amplify

• Hyponyms: ↑glorify

• Verb Frames:

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Somebody ——s something

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Somebody ——s something with something

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They won't blow up the story

4. burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction

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the bomb detonated at noon

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The Molotov cocktail exploded

• Syn: ↑detonate, ↑explode

• Derivationally related forms: ↑detonative (for: ↑detonate), ↑detonation (for: ↑detonate)

• Verb Frames:

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Something ——s

5. exaggerate or make bigger

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The charges were inflated

• Syn: ↑inflate, ↑expand, ↑amplify

• Derivationally related forms: ↑expansive (for: ↑expand)

• Hypernyms: ↑increase

• Hyponyms: ↑puff up

• Verb Frames:

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Somebody ——s something

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Something ——s something

6. get very angry and fly into a rage

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The professor combusted when the student didn't know the answer to a very elementary question

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Spam makes me go ballistic

• Syn:

↑flip one's lid, ↑throw a fit, ↑hit the roof, ↑hit the ceiling, ↑have kittens, ↑have a fit, ↑combust, ↑blow one's stack, ↑fly off the handle, ↑flip one's wig, ↑lose one's temper, ↑blow a fuse, ↑go ballistic

• Derivationally related forms: ↑blowup

• Hypernyms: ↑rage

• Verb Frames:

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Somebody ——s

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Somebody ——s PP

7. fill with gas or air

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inflate a balloons

• Syn: ↑inflate

• Ant: ↑deflate (for: ↑inflate)

• Derivationally related forms: ↑inflatable (for: ↑inflate), ↑inflation (for: ↑inflate), ↑inflater (for: ↑inflate), ↑inflator (for: ↑inflate)

• Hypernyms: ↑expand

• Hyponyms: ↑reflate, ↑billow, ↑surge, ↑heave

• Verb Frames:

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Somebody ——s something

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Something ——s something

8. to swell or cause to enlarge, "Her faced puffed up from the drugs"

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puffed out chests

• Syn: ↑puff, ↑puff up, ↑puff out

• Derivationally related forms: ↑puffer (for: ↑puff)

• Hypernyms: ↑swell, ↑swell up, ↑intumesce, ↑tumefy, ↑tumesce

• Verb Frames:

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Something ——s

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Somebody ——s

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Somebody ——s something

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Something ——s something

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Did his feet blow up?