Blew is the past tense of the verb “blow.”

When wind blew through the trees yesterday, it pushed the branches back and forth. When you blew out your birthday candles last week, you forced air from your lungs to extinguish the flames. A referee who blew her whistle made a sharp sound by forcing air through it.

The word describes many actions involving moving air or wind. A storm blew in from the ocean. Your dad blew his nose into a tissue. The explosion blew the door off its hinges. Each of these uses the same basic idea: something moved forcefully, with air as the pushing force.

People also use blew in colorful expressions. If someone blew their chance at making the team, they ruined an opportunity through their own actions. When you say a magician blew your mind, you mean they amazed you so completely that you couldn't believe what you saw. If your older sister blew all her allowance on candy, she spent it wastefully and quickly.