as in filled
containing or seeming to contain the greatest quantity or number possible
the store was bursting with bargain hunters on the day of the big sale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in exploding
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
the turnover's crust burst when the filling expanded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shattering
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
finally burst the piñata open with one mighty swing of the bat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bursting
Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Melissa are prime exemplars of how to do it right — and you’re bound to discover both the ultra-luxury and the laid-back amidst Nordstrom’s bursting-at-the-seams sale section this May.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
All Tradable index prior to the bursting of the Mississippi Bubble in 1720.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 15 May 2026
Send her a bursting bouquet with 30 stems.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026
Another possibility is a version of the 2008 crash, in which the bursting bubble takes down the global economy.
—Ganesh Sitaraman, Time, 26 Mar. 2026
The end of Sora is most certainly not the first domino or the bursting of the AI bubble.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Sometimes starting out feeling more like winter with snow and cold, and other year's bursting into bloom.
—Bailey Allen, The Providence Journal, 21 Mar. 2026
With an elegant silhouette bursting with intricate featherwork, the gown also seemed to reference the iridescent, dark plumage of the label’s Fall-Winter 2012 show.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 3 June 2026
The Walt Disney Concert Hall shop has become a Dudamel-torium, aisles bursting with Gustavo T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, refrigerator magnets and this and that.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
The seafood chowder with crab meat, shrimp, and conch is comfortingly creamy, while the Jamaican-style Wagyu beef cheek curry is bursting with flavor.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Then came last year’s The Most Dear and The Future, a slender collection of tracks that straddled a line between pop, ambient, folk, and dance with an air of rustic mysticism that seemed to travel through music circles like gossip bursting from localized containment.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
The dishes of chef Omer Artun are rooted in tradition but bursting with creativity.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
At times, Acuña dekes fielders at second by slowing down and then bursting to third, stretching a double into a triple.
—Jesús Cano, New York Times, 1 June 2026
The Padres’ bullpen has been every bit as good as advertised, and the rotation has held its own given the obstacles — no Joe Musgrove yet and Nick Pivetta’s unexpected injury — but the offense is showing signs that the bubble is bursting in San Diego.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026
Alkahteri’s croon—feather-light and yet bursting with feeling— has taken on the likes of Lebanese pop icon Haifa Wehbe and brought a refreshing new sound to contemporary indie.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026
Noun
In central defence, Saliba and Gabriel edge out Marquinhos and Pacho, although Gabriel must be alert to cover the space left behind by Mendes’s lung-bursting runs forward.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Melissa are prime exemplars of how to do it right — and you’re bound to discover both the ultra-luxury and the laid-back amidst Nordstrom’s bursting-at-the-seams sale section this May.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
All Tradable index prior to the bursting of the Mississippi Bubble in 1720.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 15 May 2026
Send her a bursting bouquet with 30 stems.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026
Another possibility is a version of the 2008 crash, in which the bursting bubble takes down the global economy.
—Ganesh Sitaraman, Time, 26 Mar. 2026
The end of Sora is most certainly not the first domino or the bursting of the AI bubble.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Sometimes starting out feeling more like winter with snow and cold, and other year's bursting into bloom.
—Bailey Allen, The Providence Journal, 21 Mar. 2026
With an elegant silhouette bursting with intricate featherwork, the gown also seemed to reference the iridescent, dark plumage of the label’s Fall-Winter 2012 show.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
Steve Hilton has painted California as a state bursting with potential that has lost its way under Democratic leadership in his bid to be the state's first Republican governor in more than 15 years.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
The Walt Disney Concert Hall shop has become a Dudamel-torium, aisles bursting with Gustavo T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, refrigerator magnets and this and that.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
The seafood chowder with crab meat, shrimp, and conch is comfortingly creamy, while the Jamaican-style Wagyu beef cheek curry is bursting with flavor.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Then came last year’s The Most Dear and The Future, a slender collection of tracks that straddled a line between pop, ambient, folk, and dance with an air of rustic mysticism that seemed to travel through music circles like gossip bursting from localized containment.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
The dishes of chef Omer Artun are rooted in tradition but bursting with creativity.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
At times, Acuña dekes fielders at second by slowing down and then bursting to third, stretching a double into a triple.
—Jesús Cano, New York Times, 1 June 2026
The Padres’ bullpen has been every bit as good as advertised, and the rotation has held its own given the obstacles — no Joe Musgrove yet and Nick Pivetta’s unexpected injury — but the offense is showing signs that the bubble is bursting in San Diego.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026
Alkahteri’s croon—feather-light and yet bursting with feeling— has taken on the likes of Lebanese pop icon Haifa Wehbe and brought a refreshing new sound to contemporary indie.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bursting
Adjective
-
The Wall Street Journal featured Reese alongside WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson on its magazine cover, even after Caitlin Clark broke numerous records, filled arenas, and set new marks for WNBA broadcasts.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
The new system allows citations to be transmitted electronically and enter the court records system pre-filled.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While the meteor caused an eruption across Massachusetts, it was seen falling in nearby states before the explosion.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
-
Seeley drove in Allen for a 9-0 lead with a single, and Arzuaga ended the eruption with a two-run double.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Finally, should the government have more control over the exploding field of artificial intelligence?—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
-
This means black holes go out with a bang, with lower-mass PBHs exploding at different epochs of the universe.—
Jonathan O'Callaghan,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Over the prairie there would be lightning that evening, dropping in shattering bolts from swollen purple clouds.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Renowned for his defense-shattering runs, vision, and dribbling, his time at FC Barcelona was legendary.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
There’s no music overhead, but the buzzing blend of conversations makes for its own iconic orchestra.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
But in 2022, the barrier was breached, and the flies have been relentlessly buzzing northward since.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Hollywood used to pump out movies as mediocre but occasionally charming as The Breadwinner, buoyed by the always-reliable power of seeing a comedy with a packed audience in a theater.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
-
Today, its reputation precedes it and the place remains packed night-after-night.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The larger and more immediate risk came from the possible explosion.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The chemical behind the explosion — ammonium nitrate — is not regulated under RMP.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Investigators found that Aliji intended to drive a Volkswagen Beetle equipped with fake police sirens and flashing blue lights toward crowds outside the venue before detonating explosives concealed inside a Red Bull can.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
Its material originated during October 1977 sessions at Memphis’ Ardent Studios, where the original lineup — the late Lux Interior, Poison Ivy, Bryan Gregory and Nick Knox — worked with Chilton shortly before detonating the underground rock landscape.—
SPIN Staff,
SPIN,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bursting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bursting. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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