Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

blow up in one's face

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.15 in modern English

Syllables: blow up in one's -face
IPA

28

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

2

Syllables

13

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To fail disastrously.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"Whether the specific pecking order of the game I let them play today had anything to do with the fact that it blew up in my face after five minutes is a question that can be answered only in empirical terms."
"If I took the risk to speak with my friend and the whole thing blew up in my face, I'd probably feel ashamed and exposed whenever I thought about it for a very, very long time."
"So I wish you luck, but don't come crying to me when it blows up in your face."

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

blows up in one's face (present, singular) blowing up in one's face (participle, present) blew up in one's face (past) blown up in one's face (participle, past)

Phrases

hoist by one's own petard

Frequently Paired Words

hoist by one's own petard

Questions

What does blow up in one's face mean?: To fail disastrously.

How to pronounce blow up in one's face

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