1
2
as in spends
to use up carelessly
each year he blows his holiday bonus on a trip to Las Vegas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in explodes
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
a huge crater was formed when the volcano last blew
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in shatters
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
one false move and we would be blown to bits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in rushes
to proceed or move quickly
that car blew past us as if we were standing still
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in fumbles
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
he keeps blowing every job interview that comes his way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in boasts
to praise or express pride in one's own possessions, qualities, or accomplishments often to excess
another self-made millionaire blowing about how much he'd achieved
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in flowers
to produce flowers
longing for a grassy field in some far-off land where the wildflowers blow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in punches
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
he was dizzy for the rest of the day after the blow to his head
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in gusts
a sudden brief rush of wind
the ocean blows that sweep over the island are so strong that only the hardiest shrubs can grow there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blows
Brent Lang, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
Brunson fakes the swing to the right corner, blows past VJ Edgecombe, gets both feet into the paint, draws two defenders and finds OG Anunoby in the left corner.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
But Rec League Dysmorphia begins before the ref blows the first whistle.
—Grace Perry, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Another strong cold front blows through during the first few hours of the new year, keeping a cold pattern locked in-place.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
As another wave of arctic winds blows through Indiana, temperatures have fallen drastically into the low teens across Central Indiana.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 29 Dec. 2025
CeeDee Lamb is an elite route-runner who blows by man coverage.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
There’s a brief moment in Timothée Chalamet’s video with comedian Druski where a performer comes in, vogues, and blows a kiss to the actor.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Filmed over three summers, this joyful portrait blows the dust off traditional tales of Empire, migration and belonging.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2025
Mukala Kabongo, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
The Anteaters withstood an early jolt from Cal State Fullerton in their Big West Conference matchup, but came back with several blows of their own in an 86-64 win at Titan Gym.
—Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 4 Jan. 2026
During their disagreement, the victim and the suspect came to blows, cops said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
Hamas has officially confirmed the deaths of five senior leaders, marking one of the most significant blows to the terror organization since the start of the Gaza war, according to reports.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Israel’s cabinet voted on Monday to shut down a popular national radio station, one in a series of measures by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition that critics see as blows to democracy.
—Reuters, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025
Those back-to-back blows sent me into a spiral of addiction.
—Raelynn Franklin, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025
As such, today’s federal blows come as bureaucratic hurdles over the years have meant large numbers of people eligible for assistance already don’t receive it, lawmakers and a CalFresh recipient and university student said.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 18 Dec. 2025
The groundbreaking research penetrated the last moments of the young nobleman, who suffered a terrible 26 blows.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
On a recent morning in midtown Manhattan, Spike Lee blows on an imaginary pair of dice before hurling them to the ground.
—Noun
Coming out the second half the teams continued to trade blows, after the Rockets took a 32-30 lead Xaverian responded with a 15-5 run to end the quarter to take a 45-37 lead.
—Cite this Entry
“Blows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blows. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share