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
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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
Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
While plumbers said winter is known for pipes bursting, once the weather starts thawing out in the spring, their call volume picks up.
—Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Strategy was formerly known as MicroStrategy — going public in June 1998 at $10 a share — promptly sprinting up 31-fold to around $320 before sinking fast in the wake of the dot-com bubble bursting and the revelation of dodgy revenue accounting at the analytics software company.
—Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
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
Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
The school still needs about $2 million to get it across the finish line — including the heavy lifting of bursting the seawall to create the inland lagoon that will host the mangroves.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Pipes in unheated or outdoor locations have a greater risk of freezing and bursting.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
Then be sure to read our guide bursting with handy tips on how to photograph Earth's natural satellite, along with our picks of the best cameras and lenses for capturing the majesty of the night sky.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2026
With Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin plunged into dangerously cold temperatures, there's an especially high risk of your pipes freezing or bursting.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
It’s filled to bursting with antioxidants, which create a forcefield around the skin, protecting it from environmental aggressors like pollution and UV, which can dull, clog, and age skin.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 22 Jan. 2026
Keeping water flowing through the pipes to prevent them from freezing and bursting, which can cause costly damage.
—Kylee Miller, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
But when the hot water supply fails and temperatures drop far below freezing there is a danger of pipes freezing and bursting.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Noun
This helps water flow as the ice melts and relieves pressure, reducing the risk of the pipe bursting.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
While plumbers said winter is known for pipes bursting, once the weather starts thawing out in the spring, their call volume picks up.
—Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Strategy was formerly known as MicroStrategy — going public in June 1998 at $10 a share — promptly sprinting up 31-fold to around $320 before sinking fast in the wake of the dot-com bubble bursting and the revelation of dodgy revenue accounting at the analytics software company.
—Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
There’s a five-star spa, a hotel restaurant bursting with fecund plants, and soft, warm lighting.
—Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
The school still needs about $2 million to get it across the finish line — including the heavy lifting of bursting the seawall to create the inland lagoon that will host the mangroves.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Pipes in unheated or outdoor locations have a greater risk of freezing and bursting.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
Then be sure to read our guide bursting with handy tips on how to photograph Earth's natural satellite, along with our picks of the best cameras and lenses for capturing the majesty of the night sky.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2026
With Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin plunged into dangerously cold temperatures, there's an especially high risk of your pipes freezing or bursting.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
It’s filled to bursting with antioxidants, which create a forcefield around the skin, protecting it from environmental aggressors like pollution and UV, which can dull, clog, and age skin.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 22 Jan. 2026
Keeping water flowing through the pipes to prevent them from freezing and bursting, which can cause costly damage.
—Kylee Miller, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
But when the hot water supply fails and temperatures drop far below freezing there is a danger of pipes freezing and bursting.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
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
-
Perhaps a cataclysm—an earthquake, a volcanic eruption—had driven those people away.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The eight main islands were formed by eruptions, landslides and erosion over thousands of years.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
24 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
-
The Congress Centre was buzzing with both dominating and dominant leaders from across the world.—
Vaishali Nigam Sinha,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Nothing today felt like play, yesterday my phone will be buzzing with messages, a child was used as bait, ICE is sending out flyers offering food support to families, don’t take the bait.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The cold temperatures have proven to be challenging as crews work to remove packed ice and snow from roads and sidewalks across the state.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
With their backs turned to the packed venue, Duff gave each fan a black t-shirt and told them not to turn around until her signal.—
Lyndsey Havens,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Video footage that appeared to be taken at the scene captured loud blasts and the sky glowing following explosions that began around midnight and lasted about two hours in the area of Diori Hamani International Airport.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
An explosion was reported at a metal fabricating plant on Thursday night in Pennsylvania, according to officials.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In a post on Telegram, Kiper said a two-story residential building was damaged and that a drone hit an apartment on the 17th floor of a high-rise building without detonating.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Jan. 2026
-
Jayme Thornton Crossfire’s approach of detonating water balloons in midair—which has yet to be patented so the team would not describe it in detail—could eventually change the calculation about how much suppressant is needed to fight fires.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
24 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bursting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bursting. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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