blow-by-blow: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal to neutral. Common in journalism, storytelling, and casual recounting of events.
Quick answer
What does “blow-by-blow” mean?
Describing a detailed, sequential account of events, typically as they happened in time order.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Describing a detailed, sequential account of events, typically as they happened in time order.
An account that provides meticulous, moment-by-moment details, often to the point of being exhaustive, and can apply to narratives, descriptions, or analyses.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. The hyphenated form is standard in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical connotations of thorough, step-by-step detail.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “blow-by-blow” in a Sentence
[give/provide/offer] a blow-by-blow account [of something]a blow-by-blow [noun][adjective] blow-by-blow descriptionVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “blow-by-blow” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb.
adverb
British English
- He narrated the incident blow-by-blow. (less common, but possible)
- She described the process blow-by-blow.
American English
- The reporter covered the trial blow-by-blow.
- Let me walk you through it blow-by-blow.
adjective
British English
- The witness provided a blow-by-blow account of the robbery to the police.
- The documentary offered a blow-by-blow retelling of the political scandal.
American English
- The coach gave a blow-by-blow description of the team's final play.
- I listened to her blow-by-blow recap of the committee meeting.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in post-mortem analyses of projects or negotiations: 'He gave us a blow-by-blow of the merger talks.'
Academic
Rare in formal writing; may appear in qualitative research describing a process in extreme detail.
Everyday
Common when recounting personal events, arguments, or sports matches: 'She gave me a blow-by-blow of their row.'
Technical
Can be used in fields like computing (debugging logs) or medicine (surgical reports) to denote a granular chronological record.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “blow-by-blow”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “blow-by-blow”
- Using it as a predicate adjective (*His story was blow-by-blow* – incorrect). It is almost always attributive (*a blow-by-blow story*).
- Writing it without hyphens (*blow by blow account* – incorrect in standard usage).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, informally. For example: 'He gave me the blow-by-blow over coffee.' Here, 'the blow-by-blow' means the detailed account itself.
Its origin is from boxing or conflict commentary, but in modern use, it is entirely metaphorical and refers to any detailed sequential report, not necessarily involving violence.
They are near synonyms. 'Play-by-play' is strongly associated with live sports commentary. 'Blow-by-blow' has broader application to any event (arguments, meetings, stories) and originates from boxing.
It is informal to neutral. It is common in journalism and spoken narratives but would be replaced with terms like 'sequential account' or 'minute description' in very formal academic or legal writing.
Describing a detailed, sequential account of events, typically as they happened in time order.
Blow-by-blow: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbləʊ baɪ ˈbləʊ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbloʊ baɪ ˈbloʊ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “give someone the blow-by-blow”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a boxing match commentator describing every single **blow** (punch) **by** every single **blow**. That's the essence of exhaustive, sequential detail.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A LINEAR PATH (sequentially moving along it). NARRATIVE IS A JOURNEY (reporting each step of the way).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'blow-by-blow' LEAST likely to be used?