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
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
This 2024 debut novel by Kaveh Akbar, the poetry editor at The Nation, is an unflinching tour-de-force bursting with wit and insight into the complications of diaspora, the nature of identity in a post-War on Terror world and the inter-generational impact of the 1979 Revolution on Iranians.
—Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 3 Mar. 2026
This includes both 2000 and 2007, when bubbles bursting coincided with painful recessions.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
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
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
This encourages new growth and results in lilacs which appear fuller, bursting with color from the inside out.
—Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
This cake, bursting with the tropical flavors of pineapple and coconut, will be a new warm-weather staple.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Following a brutal winter season, Martha's Bedford farm is now bursting with colorful blooms.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Apr. 2026
What started as a stall at the Brooklyn Flea is now a beloved Fort Worth brick-and-mortar shop, bursting with greenery and plenty of character.
—Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026
Because along with Vosk, there is a lot of vitality in Beaches, most especially bursting from the four young performers who play childhood and teen versions of Bertie and Cee Cee.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
His biggest play came early in the workout, when Kinnard took a handoff and disappeared momentarily amid the crush of players at the line of scrimmage before bursting through the middle and running for a 64-yard touchdown.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
At one point Harry Maguire tried to inject urgency, bursting forward with the ball and urging Alejandro Garnacho and Diogo Dalot to run ahead.
—Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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
This 2024 debut novel by Kaveh Akbar, the poetry editor at The Nation, is an unflinching tour-de-force bursting with wit and insight into the complications of diaspora, the nature of identity in a post-War on Terror world and the inter-generational impact of the 1979 Revolution on Iranians.
—Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 3 Mar. 2026
This includes both 2000 and 2007, when bubbles bursting coincided with painful recessions.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
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
Verb
My heart is bursting with gratitude.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
This encourages new growth and results in lilacs which appear fuller, bursting with color from the inside out.
—Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
This cake, bursting with the tropical flavors of pineapple and coconut, will be a new warm-weather staple.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Following a brutal winter season, Martha's Bedford farm is now bursting with colorful blooms.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Apr. 2026
What started as a stall at the Brooklyn Flea is now a beloved Fort Worth brick-and-mortar shop, bursting with greenery and plenty of character.
—Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026
Because along with Vosk, there is a lot of vitality in Beaches, most especially bursting from the four young performers who play childhood and teen versions of Bertie and Cee Cee.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
His biggest play came early in the workout, when Kinnard took a handoff and disappeared momentarily amid the crush of players at the line of scrimmage before bursting through the middle and running for a 64-yard touchdown.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
At one point Harry Maguire tried to inject urgency, bursting forward with the ball and urging Alejandro Garnacho and Diogo Dalot to run ahead.
—Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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
-
Alert 5 means an explosive and life-threatening eruption is underway with deadly volcanic lava and pyroclastic flows and heavy ashfall.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
-
Another key element of the look is the flamboyant headpiece that Deacon created in collaboration with the iconic milliner Stephen Jones, which featured an eruption of ostrich and pheasant feathers that had been artfully dyed to echo the shades of Christie’s dress.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
My head was exploding with the iciest cold.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
New York’s gritty downtown scene was exploding, high-camp drag queens and nightclub personalities like Kevin Aviance and Lady Bunny were becoming icons, and house and ballroom music were filtering into the mainstream.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
On April 12, Péter Magyar of the Tisza party won by a landslide, altering the course of Hungary’s history and shattering voter turnout records.—
Alexandra Levy,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
Meyer still brokers earth-shattering private deals, but for the last decade, he’s been sorting through Si’s deep collection.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
In northern Virginia’s Loudoun County, the buzzing-windowless-behemoth capital of the world, every dollar in services provided to data centers returns twenty-six dollars in revenue, and that has allowed the county to lower its real-property taxes every year for the past decade.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
On Wednesday, three pins were available for the buzzing audience, including one with a rainbow heart emblazoned with the words City of Boise.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
At the Alabama Statehouse, a chaotic scene erupted as one protester was dragged from the packed House gallery by security officers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 May 2026
-
Two people from opposite ends of Atlanta are likely to lead completely different lives, Mayor Andre Dickens told a packed house at the King Center on Thursday.—
Shaddi Abusaid,
AJC.com,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
In 1985, an explosion in the basement of a Ross department store—caused by an unventilated buildup of methane gas underneath the store—razed several city blocks and injured twenty-three people.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
In 1992, a buildup of methane gas and coal dust triggered a massive explosion in the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia, Canada, killing 26 coal miners.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Two Massachusetts men have pleaded guilty to breaking into Harvard Medical School and detonating fireworks last Halloween night, a crime that caught the eye of FBI Director Kash Patel.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
And some advanced mines have counters that will let a certain number of ships pass before detonating.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bursting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bursting. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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