blow
blow — verb
1. to push air out from your mouth, or to make something travel because moving air
to push air out from your mouth, or to make something travel because moving air carries it.
Aiko blew on the soup before the baby took a spoonful.
blow on + object
The strong wind blew sand across the road near the beach.
wind blows + object + across
A paper map blew out of Ravi's hand at the station.
Warm air from the dryer blew Hana's hair across her face.
- blow on soup
- blow across the road
- blow out of someone's hand
- blow hair across a face
Grammar Patterns
blow on + object
wind blows
blow + object + adverb/preposition
object blows + adverb/preposition
Usage Note
Covers both breath from a person and movement caused by wind. When an object changes position, a result phrase such as 'away', 'out', or 'across' is very common.
Common Mistakes
2. to make a whistle, horn, or similar instrument give a sound by using your breath
to make a whistle, horn, or similar instrument give a sound by using your breath.
The referee blew the whistle when two players fell near goal.
blow the whistle
At sunrise, Yuri blew his trumpet outside the city hall.
blow + wind instrument
From the harbor, a horn blew three times before the ferry left.
instrument as subject
During practice, the band leader blew a long note too early.
- blow a whistle
- blow a horn
- blow a trumpet
- blow a long note
Grammar Patterns
blow a whistle
blow a horn
blow a trumpet
horn/whistle blows
Usage Note
Object is usually a whistle, horn, trumpet, or another wind instrument. Distinguish from sense 1, where the focus is simply on air moving rather than on the sound produced.
Common Mistakes
3. to shape hot soft glass or a similar material by sending air into it.
to shape hot soft glass or a similar material by sending air into it.
At the workshop, Mei blew a small glass bird for the shop window.
blow + finished glass object
The artist blew the hot glass into a round bowl.
blow + material + into + shape
By noon, the team had blown three bottles for the museum show.
In class, the teacher showed how to blow a clear glass bead.
- blow glass
- blow a bottle
- blow a bowl
- blow a bead
Grammar Patterns
blow glass
blow a bottle
blow + material + into + shape
blow + object
Usage Note
Mostly used for glassmaking. The object can be the material ('blow the glass into a bowl') or the finished thing ('blow a bottle').
Common Mistakes
4. to blow strongly through your nose so that it is no longer blocked.
to blow strongly through your nose so that it is no longer blocked.
Before the photo, Noa blew her nose with a clean tissue.
blow your nose
The child stopped crying after blowing his nose in the kitchen.
During the train ride, an old man blew his nose twice.
Please blow your nose before the doctor checks your throat.
imperative fixed phrase
- blow your nose
- blow her nose
- blow his nose
- blow your nose with a tissue
- clear your nose
broader and less fixed than the usual idiom
- unblock your nose
focuses on the result rather than the action itself
Grammar Patterns
blow your nose
blow his/her nose
Usage Note
Usually appears in the fixed pattern 'blow your nose', often with a tissue or handkerchief. English normally states the nose directly rather than only the mucus.
Common Mistakes
5. to touch your hand with your lips and then gesture the kiss toward someone.
to touch your hand with your lips and then gesture the kiss toward someone.
From the stage, Leila blew a kiss to her grandparents.
blow a kiss to + someone
The actress smiled and blew kisses after the final song.
plural form: blow kisses
At the airport gate, little Bao blew his mother a kiss.
double-object pattern
Before the call ended, Ines blew a kiss toward the camera.
- blow a kiss
- blow someone a kiss
- blow kisses
- blow a kiss toward the camera
- send a kiss
more direct and less tied to the hand gesture
- wave a kiss
less common; emphasizes the visual gesture
Grammar Patterns
blow a kiss to + someone
blow someone a kiss
blow kisses
Usage Note
Most often appears with the noun 'kiss': 'blow a kiss', 'blow someone a kiss', or 'blow kisses'. It is more about a visible gesture than about real contact.
Common Mistakes
6. to ruin something completely by an explosion, sudden force, or a serious failure
to ruin something completely by an explosion, sudden force, or a serious failure.
The blast blew the kitchen windows off the old house.
blow + object + off
A power surge blew our old TV during the storm.
damage from sudden failure
The mine blew the bridge before the soldiers arrived.
One firework blew a hole through the garden fence.
blow a hole through + object
- blow the windows off
- blow the bridge
- blow a hole in the wall
- blow a TV
Grammar Patterns
blow + object
blow + object + off
blow a hole in/through + object
Usage Note
Often used when something ends up unusable after sudden damage. Distinguish from sense 1, where air only moves something, and from later verb sense 9, which is more specifically about blasting something apart with an explosion.
Common Mistakes
7. for a fuse to melt because too much electricity passes through it, or to make th
for a fuse to melt because too much electricity passes through it, or to make this happen to a fuse.
During the storm, the kitchen fuse blew and the fridge went quiet.
intransitive: fuse blew
The old heater blew a fuse when Omar plugged it in.
transitive: blow a fuse
After the lights flashed twice, another fuse blew upstairs.
Too many fans on one socket can blow the fuse.
cause of electrical overload
- blow a fuse
- fuse blew
- kitchen fuse blew
- blow the fuse
- work
describes the circuit continuing to operate normally
Grammar Patterns
fuse blows
blow a fuse
Usage Note
With the intransitive pattern, the fuse is the subject. In the transitive pattern, the subject is the machine or action that causes the overload.
Common Mistakes
8. for a tyre or another air-filled rubber thing to split suddenly and lose its air
for a tyre or another air-filled rubber thing to split suddenly and lose its air.
Our front tyre blew on the highway near Tainan.
intransitive: tyre blew
The bike tyre blew after it rolled over a sharp nail.
sudden damage from the road
Halfway to school, Mei's rear tyre blew with a loud pop.
The bus stopped suddenly because one tyre had blown.
present perfect result
- front tyre blew
- rear tyre blew
- bike tyre blew
- one tyre had blown
- hold air
describes the tyre staying usable without leaking
Grammar Patterns
tyre blows
Usage Note
Usually used with tyres, tubes, or similar rubber parts filled with air. In American English, 'blow out' is often more common for this idea.
Common Mistakes
9. to use an explosion to force something open or damage it very badly.
to use an explosion to force something open or damage it very badly.
Soldiers blew the bridge apart before the tanks arrived.
blow + object + apart
The thieves tried to blow the safe open at night.
blow + object + open
A small bomb blew the shop windows out across the street.
Engineers blew the old tower up after the area closed.
blow + object + up
- blow the bridge apart
- blow the safe open
- blow the windows out
- blow the tower up
- blast open
especially stresses forcing an entrance open
- demolish
can describe destruction without saying how it happened
- shatter
focuses on breaking into pieces rather than explosive force itself
- repair
describes making the damaged thing usable again
Grammar Patterns
blow + object + apart
blow + object + open
blow + object + up
Usage Note
Often followed by a result word such as 'open', 'apart', or 'up'. Distinguish this from verb/6, where the focus is general destruction rather than damage caused specifically by an explosion.
Common Mistakes
10. to throw money away on something expensive or unnecessary.
to throw money away on something expensive or unnecessary.
Ravi blew half his pay on a gold watch.
blow + amount + on + thing
We blew too much money on snacks at the stadium.
blow + money + on + thing
After her bonus arrived, Ines blew it on three new bags.
The band blew thousands on a hotel they barely used.
Instead of saving for rent, Yusuf blew his cash on games.
contrast with saving money
- blow money on
- blow cash on
- blow half his pay on
- blow thousands on
- waste
more neutral and can be used for money, time, or effort
- squander
more formal and strongly suggests foolish loss
- splash out on
informal and often suggests buying something expensive as a treat
- fritter away
suggests losing money little by little
Grammar Patterns
blow + money + on + something
blow + amount + on + something
Usage Note
Usually followed by an amount, 'money', or 'cash', then 'on' and the thing bought. It suggests waste, unlike neutral 'spend'.
Common Mistakes
blow apart
phrasal verbTo break something into pieces by explosion or strong force.
The bomb blew apart the concrete wall.
The news of his betrayal blew apart their friendship.
blow away
phrasal verbTo remove something by wind; also to impress someone greatly.
The strong wind blew away the leaves.
Her performance blew away the judges.
blow in
phrasal verbTo arrive unexpectedly or casually.
My cousin blew in from New York last night.
He just blew in and asked for a place to stay.
blow into
phrasal verbTo arrive at a place, often suddenly or unexpectedly.
She blew into town and started a new business.
The celebrity blew into the party and caused a stir.
blow itself out
phrasal verbIf a storm blows itself out, it ends after losing strength.
The hurricane finally blew itself out after three days.
We waited until the storm blew itself out before leaving.
blow off
phrasal verbTo remove something by blowing; also to ignore or not attend something.
The wind blew off my hat.
He blew off the meeting to go to the beach.
blow out
phrasal verbTo extinguish a flame by blowing; also for a tire to burst.
She blew out all the candles on her birthday cake.
The front tire blew out on the highway.
blow up
phrasal verbTo explode; also to become very angry or to enlarge a photograph.
The bomb blew up the building.
My dad blew up when he saw the broken window.
blow over
phrasal verbIf a problem or bad situation blows over, it becomes less important or disappears over time.
The argument between Tom and Sara blew over after a few days.
Don't worry about the scandal; it will blow over soon.
To kill yourself or another person by shooting them in the head.
The villain threatened to blow his brains out with a gun.
Did you hear that the soldier accidentally blew his own brains out?
blow chunks
idiomTo vomit.
After eating bad seafood, Maya blew chunks all night.
The roller coaster made Diego feel like he would blow chunks.
To make someone feel fresh and energetic again, often after being tired or bored.
A short run in the park blew the cobwebs away for Sara.
Opening the windows helped clear the cobwebs away from my mind.
blow a fuse
idiomTo become very angry suddenly.
When Brian saw the scratch on his car, he blew a fuse.
My dad blew a fuse after I broke his favorite vase.
To reveal a secret, especially by accident.
Mia accidentally blew the gaff on the surprise party.
Who blew the gaff about our secret project?
To keep changing your opinion about something.
Tom blows hot and cold about moving to a new city.
Why do you blow hot and cold about accepting the job offer?
blow your mind
idiomTo cause a very strong feeling of surprise or excitement.
The special effects in that movie will blow your mind.
Did the magic show blow your mind like it did mine?
blow/let off steam
idiomTo release strong emotions or energy by doing something active or noisy.
After a long day at work, Jenna went for a run to blow off steam.
Playing loud music helps me let off steam when I am angry.
To completely defeat or destroy someone or something.
Our team's new design blew the competitors out of the water.
The documentary blew all other films out of the water.
To praise your own abilities or achievements.
Luis is always blowing his own trumpet about his grades.
She never blows her own trumpet, even though she is very talented.
To try to deceive someone by saying something is better than it really is.
The salesman was blowing smoke about the car's condition.
Don't blow smoke up my ass; tell me the truth.
To greatly surprise or impress someone.
The singer's performance blew the audience's socks off.
Wait until you taste this cake; it will knock your socks off.
blow that for a lark
idiomUsed to express that you do not want to do something because it requires too much effort.
Blow that for a lark! I am not cleaning the whole house alone.
He said, "Blow that for a lark," and refused to work overtime.
To destroy someone or something completely using bombs or other weapons.
The explosion blew the old building to bits.
The army blew the enemy tank to pieces.
To completely destroy someone or something with an explosion.
The bomb blew the bridge to kingdom come.
The villain threatened to blow the city to kingdom come.
blow your top
idiomTo become very angry.
When Dad saw the mess, he blew his top.
I almost blew my top when I heard the news.
If a plan blows up in your face, it goes very wrong and causes you harm or embarrassment.
His scheme to cheat on the test blew up in his face.
The surprise party blew up in my face when she found out.
To report someone's wrong or illegal activities to an authority.
The employee blew the whistle on the company's fraud.
Who blew the whistle on the illegal dumping?
No problem is so bad that it does not bring some advantage to someone.
It's an ill wind; the flood brought new soil to the fields.
Even the canceled flight was an ill wind; we met our old friends.
To reveal unpleasant facts about something that were hidden.
The journalist lifted the lid on corruption in the government.
Her report blew the lid off the scandal.
puff and blow
idiomTo breathe quickly and loudly after physical effort.
After climbing the stairs, he was puffing and blowing.
The runner was puffing and blowing at the finish line.
To find out what is likely to happen before making a decision.
Before investing, he wanted to see which way the wind was blowing.
Politicians often see which way the wind is blowing before taking a stand.
blow — noun
1. one strong strike made with a fist, a foot, or something used to hit another per
one strong strike made with a fist, a foot, or something used to hit another person or thing.
Ravi took a blow to the shoulder during the rugby match.
pattern: a blow to + body part
The thief knocked him down with a blow from a metal bar.
pattern: a blow from + weapon
One blow from the hammer cracked the stone tile.
The boxer stepped back after a blow caught his chin.
- deal a blow
- take a blow to the head
- a blow from a hammer
- land a blow
- caress
a gentle touch rather than a violent hit
Grammar Patterns
a blow to + [body part]
a blow from + [weapon/object]
Usage Note
Often follows verbs like 'take', 'deal', 'land', and 'suffer'. The injured person or body part is commonly named with 'to'.
Common Mistakes
2. a sudden trouble or piece of bad news that weakens someone's hopes, health, or p
a sudden trouble or piece of bad news that weakens someone's hopes, health, or plans.
Losing the court case was a blow to the family business.
pattern: a blow to + person/thing
The storm dealt a heavy blow to local farmers in April.
collocation: deal a heavy blow to
Her father's illness came as a blow just before final exams.
pattern: come as a blow
The captain missing the final was another blow for the team.
- a blow to confidence
- a serious blow
- deal a blow to
- come as a blow
- boost
something that helps confidence, progress, or success
Grammar Patterns
a blow to + [person/thing]
deal a blow to + [plan/group]
Usage Note
Very common with abstract objects such as confidence, trade, hopes, reputation, and recovery. Distinguish from sense 1, which is a physical hit.
Common Mistakes
3. one push of air sent out through the mouth or nose.
one push of air sent out through the mouth or nose.
Priya gave the fire a gentle blow, and the flames grew.
pattern: give + object + a blow
One hard blow sent the dust off the old photo frame.
A quick blow cooled the hot tea enough to drink.
The nurse asked Leo for one long blow into the tube.
pattern: one long blow into + object
- gentle blow
- one long blow
- give it a blow
- a blow into the tube
- puff
more common in everyday speech for a small push of air
- breath
broader; may mean the air inside the lungs, not the outward action
- exhalation
formal scientific word
- breath in
the opposite movement of air
Grammar Patterns
give + [something] + a blow
one long blow
Usage Note
Usually singular when talking about one breath or one push of air. Often appears with verbs like 'give' and adjectives such as 'gentle', 'hard', or 'long'.
4. a short walk outside, taken mainly to get fresh air and feel better.
a short walk outside, taken mainly to get fresh air and feel better.
After lunch, Ines went for a blow along the seafront.
pattern: go for a blow
During the tea break, the nurses had a blow in the yard.
Let's have a blow round the block before dinner.
pattern: have a blow
After three hours indoors, the children went for a blow round the yard.
- go for a blow
- have a blow
- a blow along the front
- take the dog for a blow
Grammar Patterns
go for a blow
have a blow
Usage Note
Chiefly British and informal. Most often used after 'go for' or 'have', and it suggests a brief walk rather than exercise or a long trip.
5. marijuana, especially when named in informal talk about illegal drugs.
marijuana, especially when named in informal talk about illegal drugs.
Police found blow and rolling papers in the top drawer.
slang noun for cannabis
A sweet smell filled the room, and Tara knew someone was smoking blow.
collocation: smoke blow
The report said two boys were caught selling blow near the station.
Officers discovered blow in his jacket pocket after the concert.
- smoke blow
- sell blow
- blow and rolling papers
- a smell of blow
Usage Note
Rare slang and easy to confuse with sense 6. Scenes with smoking, rolling papers, or a strong plant smell point to this sense, not the cocaine sense.
Common Mistakes
6. cocaine, especially when named in informal talk about illegal drugs.
cocaine, especially when named in informal talk about illegal drugs.
Club security found blow hidden inside a folded banknote.
slang noun for cocaine
The actor was accused of buying blow at a hotel party.
collocation: buy blow
Detectives tested the white powder and confirmed it was blow.
context clue: white powder
Ravi lost his job after coworkers found blow in his desk drawer.
- buy blow
- sell blow
- white blow
- a packet of blow
Usage Note
More likely than sense 5 in scenes involving white powder, folded notes, or buying and selling at clubs. Distinguish from sense 5, which points to cannabis in smoking contexts.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- blowernounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
For verb/1, 'blow' is the broad everyday word. It can describe a person pushing air from the mouth, moving air itself, or air making another thing move. 'Exhale' is narrower and more formal: it only means breathing air out, often in medical or careful description. 'Puff' suggests a short, small burst of air, sometimes repeated. 'Waft' is gentler and usually describes air, smell, or smoke moving lightly rather than someone forcing air out. 'Gust' is mainly about wind, especially a sudden strong rush, not about human breath. Compare: 'Aiko blew on the soup' uses ordinary everyday wording, while 'The smell of bread wafted into the hall' focuses on soft movement through the air.
Common collocations
Etymology
The verb 'blow' comes from an Old English word meaning 'to breathe out', 'to move in the wind', or 'to sound a horn'. That older verb goes back to a Germanic root about air moving outward. The noun grew from the verb: first it meant a puff of air, then it spread to other sudden forceful events, such as a hit or a serious setback. Several modern senses still keep that central idea of air or force pushing outward.