blow
blow away
[PHRASAL VERB] V P by, V n P
If you say that you are blown away by something, or if it blows you away, you mean that you are very impressed by it. (INFORMAL)
I was blown away by the tone and the quality of the story...
She just totally blew me away with her singing.blow out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you blow out a flame or a candle, you blow at it so that it stops burning.
I blew out the candle.
2
see also blowoutblow over
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If something such as trouble or an argument blows over, it ends without any serious consequences.
Wait, and it'll all blow over.blow up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V P, also V n P
If someone blows something up or if it blows up, it is destroyed by an explosion.
He was jailed for 45 years for trying to blow up a plane...
Their boat blew up as they slept.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you blow up something such as a balloon or a tyre, you fill it with air.
Other than blowing up a tyre I hadn't done any car maintenance.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If a wind or a storm blows up, the weather becomes very windy or stormy.
A storm blew up over the mountains.
4 [PHRASAL VERB] V P at n, V P
If you blow up at someone, you lose your temper and shout at them. (INFORMAL)
I'm sorry I blew up at you...
When Myra told Karp she'd expose his past, he blew up.
= explode
5 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P, V P prep/adv, also V P
If someone blows an incident up or if it blows up, it is made to seem more serious or important than it really is.
Newspapers blew up the story...
The media may be blowing it up out of proportion...
The scandal blew up into a major political furore.
6 [PHRASAL VERB] be V-ed P, V-ed P, also V P n (not pron), V n P
If a photographic image is blown up, a large copy is made of it.
The image is blown up on a large screen.
...two blown up photos of Paddy.
7
see also blow-up♦♦ blow1 /bl'oʊ/ (blow blows blowing blew blown) VERB USES
Please look at category 12 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 [VERB] V
When a wind or breeze blows, the air moves.
We woke to find a gale blowing outside.
2 [VERB] V n with adv, V adv/prep, V, also V n prep
If the wind blows something somewhere or if it blows there, the wind moves it there.
Strong winds blew away most of the dust...
Her cap fell off in the street and blew away...
The bushes and trees were blowing in the wind.
3 [VERB] V prep/adv, V
If you blow, you send out a stream of air from your mouth.
Danny rubbed his arms and blew on his fingers to warm them...
Take a deep breath and blow.
4 [VERB] V n with adv, also V n prep
If you blow something somewhere, you move it by sending out a stream of air from your mouth.
He picked up his mug and blew off the steam.
5 [VERB] V n
If you blow bubbles or smoke rings, you make them by blowing air out of your mouth through liquid or smoke.
He blew a ring of blue smoke.
6 [VERB] V, V n
When a whistle or horn blows or someone blows it, they make a sound by blowing into it.
The whistle blew and the train slid forward...
A guard was blowing his whistle.
7 [VERB] V n
When you blow your nose, you force air out of it through your nostrils in order to clear it.
He took out a handkerchief and blew his nose.
8 [VERB] V n with adv, V n prep
To blow something out, off, or away means to remove or destroy it violently with an explosion.
The can exploded, wrecking the kitchen and bathroom and blowing out windows...
Rival gunmen blew the city to bits.
9 [VERB] V n prep
If you say that something blows an event, situation, or argument into a particular extreme state, especially an uncertain or unpleasant state, you mean that it causes it to be in that state.
Someone took an inappropriate use of words on my part and tried to blow it into a major controversy.
10 [VERB] V n
If you blow a large amount of money, you spend it quickly on luxuries. (INFORMAL)
My brother lent me some money and I went and blew the lot.
11 [VERB] V n, V n, V it
If you blow a chance or attempt to do something, you make a mistake which wastes the chance or causes the attempt to fail. (INFORMAL)
He has almost certainly blown his chance of touring India this winter.
...the high-risk world of real estate, where one careless word could blow a whole deal...
Oh you fool! You've blown it!
12
to blow away the cobwebs: see cobweb
to blow someone's cover: see cover
to blow hot and cold: see hot
to blow a kiss: see kiss
to blow your top: see top
to blow the whistle: see whistle
see also full-blown, overblown♦ blow2 /bl'oʊ/ (blow blows) NOUN USES
1 [N-COUNT] oft N to/on n
If someone receives a blow, they are hit with a fist or weapon.
He went off to hospital after a blow to the face.
2 [N-COUNT] oft N to n
If something that happens is a blow to someone or something, it is very upsetting, disappointing, or damaging to them.
That ruling comes as a blow to environmentalists...
His death dealt a severe blow to the army's morale.
3 [PHRASE] V inflects
If two people or groups come to blows, they start fighting.
The representatives almost came to blows at a meeting.body blow (body blows)
also body-blow
[N-COUNT]
A body blow is something that causes great disappointment and difficulty to someone who is trying to achieve something.
His resignation was a body blow to the team.
= setbackdeath blow
also death-blow
[N-SING] oft N to n
If you say that an event or action deals a death blow to something such as a plan or hope, or is a death blow to something, you mean that it puts an end to it. (JOURNALISM)
The deportations would be a death blow to the peace process...
[PHRASAL VERB] V P by, V n P
If you say that you are blown away by something, or if it blows you away, you mean that you are very impressed by it. (INFORMAL)
I was blown away by the tone and the quality of the story...
She just totally blew me away with her singing.blow out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you blow out a flame or a candle, you blow at it so that it stops burning.
I blew out the candle.
2
see also blowoutblow over
[PHRASAL VERB] V P
If something such as trouble or an argument blows over, it ends without any serious consequences.
Wait, and it'll all blow over.blow up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V P, also V n P
If someone blows something up or if it blows up, it is destroyed by an explosion.
He was jailed for 45 years for trying to blow up a plane...
Their boat blew up as they slept.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If you blow up something such as a balloon or a tyre, you fill it with air.
Other than blowing up a tyre I hadn't done any car maintenance.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If a wind or a storm blows up, the weather becomes very windy or stormy.
A storm blew up over the mountains.
4 [PHRASAL VERB] V P at n, V P
If you blow up at someone, you lose your temper and shout at them. (INFORMAL)
I'm sorry I blew up at you...
When Myra told Karp she'd expose his past, he blew up.
= explode
5 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P, V P prep/adv, also V P
If someone blows an incident up or if it blows up, it is made to seem more serious or important than it really is.
Newspapers blew up the story...
The media may be blowing it up out of proportion...
The scandal blew up into a major political furore.
6 [PHRASAL VERB] be V-ed P, V-ed P, also V P n (not pron), V n P
If a photographic image is blown up, a large copy is made of it.
The image is blown up on a large screen.
...two blown up photos of Paddy.
7
see also blow-up♦♦ blow1 /bl'oʊ/ (blow blows blowing blew blown) VERB USES
Please look at category 12 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 [VERB] V
When a wind or breeze blows, the air moves.
We woke to find a gale blowing outside.
2 [VERB] V n with adv, V adv/prep, V, also V n prep
If the wind blows something somewhere or if it blows there, the wind moves it there.
Strong winds blew away most of the dust...
Her cap fell off in the street and blew away...
The bushes and trees were blowing in the wind.
3 [VERB] V prep/adv, V
If you blow, you send out a stream of air from your mouth.
Danny rubbed his arms and blew on his fingers to warm them...
Take a deep breath and blow.
4 [VERB] V n with adv, also V n prep
If you blow something somewhere, you move it by sending out a stream of air from your mouth.
He picked up his mug and blew off the steam.
5 [VERB] V n
If you blow bubbles or smoke rings, you make them by blowing air out of your mouth through liquid or smoke.
He blew a ring of blue smoke.
6 [VERB] V, V n
When a whistle or horn blows or someone blows it, they make a sound by blowing into it.
The whistle blew and the train slid forward...
A guard was blowing his whistle.
7 [VERB] V n
When you blow your nose, you force air out of it through your nostrils in order to clear it.
He took out a handkerchief and blew his nose.
8 [VERB] V n with adv, V n prep
To blow something out, off, or away means to remove or destroy it violently with an explosion.
The can exploded, wrecking the kitchen and bathroom and blowing out windows...
Rival gunmen blew the city to bits.
9 [VERB] V n prep
If you say that something blows an event, situation, or argument into a particular extreme state, especially an uncertain or unpleasant state, you mean that it causes it to be in that state.
Someone took an inappropriate use of words on my part and tried to blow it into a major controversy.
10 [VERB] V n
If you blow a large amount of money, you spend it quickly on luxuries. (INFORMAL)
My brother lent me some money and I went and blew the lot.
11 [VERB] V n, V n, V it
If you blow a chance or attempt to do something, you make a mistake which wastes the chance or causes the attempt to fail. (INFORMAL)
He has almost certainly blown his chance of touring India this winter.
...the high-risk world of real estate, where one careless word could blow a whole deal...
Oh you fool! You've blown it!
12
to blow away the cobwebs: see cobweb
to blow someone's cover: see cover
to blow hot and cold: see hot
to blow a kiss: see kiss
to blow your top: see top
to blow the whistle: see whistle
see also full-blown, overblown♦ blow2 /bl'oʊ/ (blow blows) NOUN USES
1 [N-COUNT] oft N to/on n
If someone receives a blow, they are hit with a fist or weapon.
He went off to hospital after a blow to the face.
2 [N-COUNT] oft N to n
If something that happens is a blow to someone or something, it is very upsetting, disappointing, or damaging to them.
That ruling comes as a blow to environmentalists...
His death dealt a severe blow to the army's morale.
3 [PHRASE] V inflects
If two people or groups come to blows, they start fighting.
The representatives almost came to blows at a meeting.body blow (body blows)
also body-blow
[N-COUNT]
A body blow is something that causes great disappointment and difficulty to someone who is trying to achieve something.
His resignation was a body blow to the team.
= setbackdeath blow
also death-blow
[N-SING] oft N to n
If you say that an event or action deals a death blow to something such as a plan or hope, or is a death blow to something, you mean that it puts an end to it. (JOURNALISM)
The deportations would be a death blow to the peace process...