Blow up

Writer's Note

"Blow up" is a transitive, intransitive, inseparable and depending on the context; a separable phrasal verb. Let’s dive into the details together.

1. Transitive - Needs an object for the sentence to make sense.
   Example 1: They planned to blow up the old bridge.
   Example 2: The kids helped blow up the balloons for the party.
   Example 3: Someone tried to blow up the parliament building.
   
2. Intransitive - No object is needed for the sentence to make sense. The action happens on its own.
   Example 1: The car suddenly blew up after the crash.
   Example 2: Everyone panicked when the gas tank blew up.
   Example 3: His latest video blew up overnight on social media.
   
3. Inseparable - When the particle "blow" and verb "up" cannot be split. You will see that the phrasal verb is paired together.
   Example 1: They tried to blow up the old building.
   Example 2: I watched the fireworks blow up in the sky.
   Example 3: The post blew up on TikTok.
   
4. Separable - When the particle blow and the verb up can be separated while the sentence makes sense. Note that separable forms of this phrasal verb usually deal with inflating things.
   Example 1: Can you blow these balloons up before the guests arrive?
   Example 2: I need to blow that air mattress up for the sleepover.
   Example 3: He blew the tire up at the gas station.

Related Words: Burst, detonate, enlarge, erupt, explode, fill, go viral, ignite, inflate, lose it, magnify, pop, swell, vent, widen