# blow to kingdom come

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/blow-to-kingdom-come
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To totally destroy (something); to annihilate or wipe out (something).

## Examples

- The explosion blew the old shed to kingdom come.
- The demolition crew used enough dynamite to blow the entire abandoned factory to kingdom come.
- The catastrophic failure of the main reactor threatened to blow the entire research facility to kingdom come, forcing an immediate evacuation of all personnel.

## Origin

From *blow*, to shatter or destroy, and *kingdom come*, a reference to the afterlife or a state of complete annihilation. The latter element is derived from the phrase "Thy kingdom come" found in the Lord’s Prayer, recorded in the Bible in Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4. In the King James Version of Matthew 6:10, the petition is rendered as "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in heaven." The scriptural origins involve Jesus seeking the future establishment of the rule of God the Father over the Earth. In the transition from liturgy to idiom, the arrival of this divine kingdom became synonymous with the immediate arrival of the individual at the point of their own death. To be sent there by explosion is merely a matter of accelerating the theological timeline.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.