Phrase guide

blow a fuse

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To overload a circuit sufficiently that a fuse protecting it melts away (or informally a circuit breaker trips), stopping current from flowing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, energy, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To lose one's temper; to become enraged.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, informal

Examples

  • When he learned that his daughter had eloped, he blew a fuse.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Note: All terms are idiomatic unless stated otherwise., blow a fuse, blow a gasket, blow one's stack, blow one's top, crash out, cut up nasty, cut up rough, do one's block, do one's nut, flip one's lid, flip one's wig, flip out, fly into a rage, fly off the handle, forget oneself, get bent out of shape, get one's back up, get one's dander up, get one's Irish up, get one's shirt out, go ape, go apeshit, go ballistic, go bananas, go bitchcakes, go HAM, go H.A.M., go off, go postal, go spare, have a cow, have a fit, have kittens, hit the roof, hit the ceiling, lose it, lose one's cool, lose one's marbles, lose one's mind, lose one's rag, lose one's temper, lower the boom, pitch a fit, pop one's cork, see red, shit a brick, steam, teen, throw a fit, throw one's toys out of the pram, vent one's gall, wax wode

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

get very angry and fly into a rage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The professor combusted when the student didn't know the answer to a very elementary question
  • Spam makes me go ballistic

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: flip one's lid, blow up, throw a fit, hit the roof, hit the ceiling, have kittens, have a fit, combust, blow one's stack, fly off the handle, flip one's wig, lose one's temper, go ballistic

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rage

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: faire sauter les plombs — to cause an electrical circuit to break open by overloading it
  • German: eine Sicherung durchbrennen — to cause an electrical circuit to break open by overloading it
  • Welsh: chwythu ffiws — to cause an electrical circuit to break open by overloading it
  • French: péter les plombs — to lose one's temper
  • German: an die Decke gehen — to lose one's temper
  • Japanese: プッツンする (puttsun suru) — to lose one's temper