Blow out of the water refers to the act of defeating someone or something decisively. The antonyms for this phrase would include "lose narrowly," "tie," or "draw." If a team or individual does not achieve a clear victory, they may merely tie with the opposition rather than blow them out of the water. Similarly, if a salesperson were to secure a sale but only by a slim margin, they may not have blown their competitors out of the water. Other antonyms for blow out of the water might include "barely win," "scrape by," or "just succeed.