blow out

1. To extinguish something (typically a flame) with some form of air, such as breath or wind. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "blow" and "out." Make a wish and blow out your birthday candles! That huge gust of wind blew out all our tiki torches. I'm trying light this thing, but the wind keeps blowing out my lighter!

2. To break or burst suddenly. I almost lost control of the car when one of the tires blew out on the highway. We believe an engine blew out and caused the plane to crash. Your car's engine blew out on you? Well, I won't know for sure what caused it until I can get under the hood.

3. verb, slang To kill someone, typically with gunfire. Ray blew out the informant, just as the boss told him to. By shooting at each other in such a crowded area, those thugs could have easily blown out an innocent bystander. I did hire someone to blow out that guy, but there was a scuffle, and he was able to get away.

4. To defeat an opponent easily or by a wide margin. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "blow" and "out." The final score was 17–1? Wow, we really blew that team out! I have a feeling the top-ranked team is just going to blow out any opponent they face. As predicted, that candidate dominated in the election and blew out her opponent.

5. To return to a state of calm after turmoil by something's own workings. Don't worry, the storm will blow out eventually. When do you think the tension between Mom and Grandma will blow out? I can't wait till the drama with this merger finally blows out.

6. To break or explode due to excessive pressure or force. The vibration of that opera singer's high note blew out a window! I bet that rube overinflated the air mattress. I mean, why else would it just blow out like that? You need to let some of the air out of this tire, or it could blow out on you.

See also: blow, out

blow someone out

Sl. to kill someone, especially with gunshots. (Fixed order.) Lefty set out to blow Max out once and for all. Lefty wanted to blow Max out too.

See also: blow, out

blow something out

to extinguish a flame with a puff of breath. I blew the candle out. I blew out the candles one by one.

See also: blow, out

blow out

1. Extinguish, especially a flame. For example, The wind blew out the candles very quickly. [1300s]

2. Lose force or cease entirely, as in The storm will soon blow itself out and move out to sea. Also see blow over.

3. Burst or rupture suddenly, as in This tire is about to blow out. This usage alludes to the escape of air under pressure. [Early 1900s]

4. Also, blow out of the water. Defeat decisively, as in With a great new product and excellent publicity, we could blow the competition out of the water . This term originally was used in mid-19th-century naval warfare, where it meant to blast or shoot another vessel to pieces. It later was transferred to athletic and other kinds of defeat. [Slang; mid-1900s]

See also: blow, out

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

blow out

1. To extinguish something with the breath or a gust of air: The child blew out the candles on the birthday cake. The lamp was flickering, so I blew it out.

2. To be extinguished by the breath or a gust of air: If the wind picks up, our fire will blow out.

3. To remove or burst something with powerful or violent force: The blast blew out all the windows on the block. The sudden pressure blew the pipes out.

4. To cause something to burst: The glass on the road blew out our tires. A nail got caught under the inner tube and blew it out.

5. To burst: The front tire blew out when we were driving down the road.

6. To cause something to stop functioning suddenly. Used of an electrical apparatus: Playing your stereo too loudly will blow your speakers out. The surge in current blew out the microchips in my computer.

7. To stop functioning suddenly. Used of an electrical apparatus: Because the light bulb was old, it blew out.

8. To erupt in an uncontrolled manner. Used of a gas or oil well: If the safety valve breaks, the well might blow out and spill oil everywhere.

9. To diminish; subside. Used reflexively of windy weather conditions: Until the storm blows itself out, we'll have to stay inside.

See also: blow, out

blow someone out

tv. to kill someone, especially with gunshots. Lefty set out to blow Harry the Horse out once and for all.

blown (out)

mod. alcohol or drug intoxicated. Fred stood at the door and told us he was blown—something that was totally obvious anyway.