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
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
The bursting of the dot-com bubble helped cause the 2001 recession and led the Nasdaq to lose over 75% of its value by late 2002.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025
This wasn’t a hack or a bubble bursting.
—João Marinotti, The Conversation, 21 Nov. 2025
To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes, they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Oct. 2025
After two hours of high-speed, eardrum-bursting laps around the winding track, Verstappen proved victorious, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finishing in second and third, respectively.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2025
The shelter tab represents the second full fiscal year that Massachusetts taxpayers have shelled out larger-than-normal sums to house homeless families after a surge of migrant arrivals pushed the emergency assistance shelter system to a bursting point.
—Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Traders, fearful of missing out on the rally, are piling into equities in a way reminiscent of the 1990s, when a feeding frenzy on early internet companies inflated the market right before the bursting of the dot-com bubble.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
That is to say, Stokoe is not afraid of giving you a good chest-bursting.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
And Johnson can’t erase the imagery of poor Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham, a top-5 pick, bursting through the B-gap at the snap only to be crushed by guard Jonah Jackson.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Stretching from Brandenburg all the way to Bavaria, the 16 states that make up Germany are entirely unique, each bursting with rich history and heritage.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
This comes after bursting on to the scene about a decade ago, influencing beauty formulation and packaging everywhere.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Jan. 2026
Edwards is strong and fast and adept at bursting through gaps and finding the ball carrier.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
Protect the Spigot Insulating your spigot from sub-zero temperatures helps protect your pipes from freezing and bursting.
—Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
Blinkit Chief Executive Albinder Dhindsa has reportedly warned of a bubble bursting.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2025
Flowers bloom all over the city, from fragrant jasmine to hot pink petals bursting from Judas trees.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
Though his language is that of the every day his preternatural instinct for rhythm fills his lines with a bursting musicality.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
The bursting of the dot-com bubble helped cause the 2001 recession and led the Nasdaq to lose over 75% of its value by late 2002.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 2025
This wasn’t a hack or a bubble bursting.
—João Marinotti, The Conversation, 21 Nov. 2025
To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes, they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Oct. 2025
After two hours of high-speed, eardrum-bursting laps around the winding track, Verstappen proved victorious, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finishing in second and third, respectively.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2025
The shelter tab represents the second full fiscal year that Massachusetts taxpayers have shelled out larger-than-normal sums to house homeless families after a surge of migrant arrivals pushed the emergency assistance shelter system to a bursting point.
—Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Traders, fearful of missing out on the rally, are piling into equities in a way reminiscent of the 1990s, when a feeding frenzy on early internet companies inflated the market right before the bursting of the dot-com bubble.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
That is to say, Stokoe is not afraid of giving you a good chest-bursting.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
First responders in Atlanta rushed to an airport runway Tuesday after an aircraft experienced a harrowing landing failure, with all eight of its landing tires bursting the moment the plane touched down, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
And Johnson can’t erase the imagery of poor Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham, a top-5 pick, bursting through the B-gap at the snap only to be crushed by guard Jonah Jackson.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Stretching from Brandenburg all the way to Bavaria, the 16 states that make up Germany are entirely unique, each bursting with rich history and heritage.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
This comes after bursting on to the scene about a decade ago, influencing beauty formulation and packaging everywhere.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Jan. 2026
Edwards is strong and fast and adept at bursting through gaps and finding the ball carrier.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
Protect the Spigot Insulating your spigot from sub-zero temperatures helps protect your pipes from freezing and bursting.
—Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
Blinkit Chief Executive Albinder Dhindsa has reportedly warned of a bubble bursting.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2025
Flowers bloom all over the city, from fragrant jasmine to hot pink petals bursting from Judas trees.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bursting
Adjective
-
The program, known as IRS Direct File, allowed users to file their taxes with pre-filled tax forms, such as W-2s, free of cost.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
3 Dec. 2025
-
Streamline applications with pre-filled forms, especially to support internal mobility where workloads are high or digital access is limited.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But scientists still can’t fully predict how big an eruption will be, which can affect planning to help deal with the potential consequences on Earth.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
5 Jan. 2026
-
While tantrums seem to come out of nowhere, striking with speed and intensity at the most inopportune times, scientists have been zeroing in on the buildup that can be underway for some time before an eruption.—
Michelle Fay Cortez,
Bloomberg,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The overlapping relationships between the three, heightened by external narratives in the press and online, fester in isolation, eventually exploding into tragedy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Yoo thinks the company lost momentum after the 2016 Galaxy Note 7 crisis, when exploding batteries forced a massive recall.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Yet for all of Malinin’s athleticism and his Beamonesque ability to take flight what has been most telling in what has already been a world record-shattering Olympic season has been the maturity of his skating, the willingness to take emotional risks in his programs.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Bana and Rocha were among the 615 participants in the 27th annual Waukegan Polar Bear Plunge on Thursday at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, shattering the record of 540 set in 2024, and collectively raising more than $20,000 for Special Recreation Services of Northern Lake County.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fans were buzzing Thursday evening at a playoff pep rally at the Wintrust Sports Complex in southwest suburban Bedford Park, where the village hosted a Ben Johnson lookalike contest.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The top line with Viggo Bjorck and Stenberg was buzzing.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Acharia attended Raj’s recent New York City show, describing a packed venue where the predominantly young, female audience knew every lyric.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The fire tore through the Le Constellation bar in the Alpine resort town in the early hours Thursday, turning a packed night of celebration into panic and tragedy.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Local media also reported that several explosions were heard before the fire began.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Jonathan Taylor’s offensive explosion helped push the Indianapolis Colts past the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in the first NFL regular-season game in Berlin, 31-25, in overtime.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Two Massachusetts men arrested in connection with an explosion Saturday at Harvard University are accused of detonating a firework inside a laboratory locker in a medical building, federal authorities said Tuesday.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Poseidon had been described as a doomsday weapon that is designed to create a massive radioactive tsunami by detonating near coastal targets.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bursting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bursting. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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