pop-up

1 of 2

noun

1
2
: a component or device that pops up
3
: a pop-up book
4
: a pop-up window on a computer screen

pop-up

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or having a component or device that pops up
a pop-up book
2
: appearing suddenly: such as
a
computing : appearing suddenly on a screen over another window or display
a pop-up window
a pop-up ad
b
of a business : set up quickly for short-term operation in a temporary location
pop-up stores/shops
pop-up retail
The front lawn of nearly every home becomes either a parking lot or a pop-up market, perfect for hungry, thirsty fans held captive by the … lines of traffic.Juliet Macur
c
meteorology : appearing or developing quickly in isolation rather than as part of a line or grouping of storms
By Thursday you should be able to go coast to coast and see only pop-up thunderstorms …Paul Clark
Late summer is prime time for "pop-up" thunderstorms: storms born of hot, moist air that occur without regard to frontal activity or other large weather disturbances that are more easily understood.The Journal & Courier (Lafayette, Indiana)

Examples of pop-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Houseplant pop-up will be open from Oct. 17 through Oct. 19 at 131 Greene Street in Lower Manhattan. Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2025 Danny DeVito and his daughter Lucy (left) attend the Go Campaign Gala honoring Wrexham Foundation in Beverly Hills, California, on Oct. 17. Khloé Kardashian is seen exiting her sister Kylie Jenner's Kylie Cosmetics pop-up event in West Hollywood in a dazzling head-to-toe look on Oct. 17. Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Thousands of fans packed into the Callao plaza in the city center for the pop-up event, which include a 90-minute TikTok stream chronicling the singer’s prep and arrival. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2025 Dave's Hot Chicken started as a pop-up more than a half-dozen years ago when a group of a few friends gathered up $900, a fryer and set up in an East Hollywood parking lot. Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pop-up

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pop-up was in 1880

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pop-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pop-up. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

pop-up

1 of 2 noun
ˈpäp-ˌəp
1
2
: a pop-up window on a computer screen

pop-up

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of, relating to, or having a part or device that pops up
a pop-up book
2
: appearing suddenly on a computer screen
a pop-up window

More from Merriam-Webster on pop-up

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