1. A photographic print that has been enlarged
   "The detective studied the blowup of the surveillance footage";
   - enlargement, magnification, blow-up
    
2. A violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
   "The blowup of the old building was captured on video";
   - explosion, detonation, blow-up
    
3. [informal] An unrestrained expression of emotion
   "His sudden blowup of anger surprised everyone in the room";
   - effusion, gush, outburst, ebullition, blow-up [informal]

1. Destroy with an explosion
   "the old towers were blown up"
    
2. Burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction
   "the bomb blew up at noon";
   - detonate, explode
    
3. Cause to burst with a violent release of energy
   "We blew up the nuclear bomb";
   - explode, detonate, set off
    
4. Fill with gas or air
   "blow up a balloon";
   - inflate
    
5. To swell or cause to enlarge
   "Her face blew up from the drugs";
   - puff, puff up, puff out
    
6. Make appear larger; make a larger copy
   "blow up an image";
   - enlarge, magnify
    
7. Exaggerate or deliberately make something appear more important or serious than it really is
   "The media blew up the minor incident into a major scandal";
   - inflate, expand, amplify
    
8. [informal] Become suddenly very angry
   "The professor blew up when the student didn't know the answer to a very elementary question";
   - flip one's lid [N. Amer, informal], throw a fit [informal], hit the roof [informal], hit the ceiling [informal], have a fit [informal], blow one's stack [N. Amer, informal], fly off the handle [informal], flip one's wig [US, informal], lose one's temper, blow a fuse [informal], go ballistic [informal], go mental [informal], blow a gasket [informal], go off the deep end [informal], go ape [informal], blow one's top [informal]

1. Designed to be filled with air or gas
   "They brought blow-up mattresses for camping";
   - inflatable

Derived forms: blown up, blew up, blowups, blows up, blow-ups, blowing up

See also: expansive

Type of: burst, change integrity, demolish, discharge, dismantle, expand, explode, exposure, expression, flatten, increase, intumesce, knock down, level, manifestation, photo, photograph, pic [informal], piccy [informal], picture, puff, pull down, rage, rase [archaic], raze, reflection, reflexion [Brit], swell, swell up, take down, tear down, tumefy, tumesce

Antonym: deflate, reduce

Encyclopedia: Blowup