bursting 1 of 3

bursting

2 of 3

noun

as in eruption
the act or an instance of exploding narrowly escaped the bursting of the car's gas tank

Synonyms & Similar Words

bursting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of burst
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in buzzing
to be copiously supplied a young singer/dancer who seems to be bursting with energy and talent

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bursting
Noun
Especially when that time could be directed to a central ensemble bursting with more than enough charm, chemistry and appropriately youthful folly to generate plenty of tea on their own. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026 Returns were negative only in 1978, amid inflation; 2002, during the bursting of the tech bubble; and 2018, amid the trade war and the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026 His bladder was full to bursting but his body could not — would not — let go. — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 One reason for Thiele’s bursting-at-the-seams friend group is his growing list of Imdb credits. — Anna Tingley, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 My phone lights up with a new text, and my heart lights up, too, a fresh lime dropping into a cold bottle of beer, a bursting balloon, a cartoon lightbulb flicking on with sudden, radiant intensity. — Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026 His business has survived multiple recessions, the bursting of the dot-com bubble and the 2008 financial crisis. — Cj Haddad,katie Tarasov, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 Whether the podcasting asset bubble bursting led directly to the ascendance of YouTube and video podcasting, or was simply incidental to the inevitable growth of YouTube podcasts, is a question reserved for podcast philosophers. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 Sonically, there are specific elements that an arena-bursting, chart-topping song needs. — Jack Cosbie, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2026
Verb
Morgan Stanley shrugged off the bubble-bursting concerns, with its Global Investment Committee reiterating a year-end S&P 500 target of 8,000 and a mid-2027 target of 8,300—bullish territory, not a bust. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026 For a child bursting with energy, few things are more fun than hurtling through a bouncy castle, launching into the air, and ping-ponging between every surface. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, actor and artist RiRia has a lifelong devotion to punk fashion, curating a Hysteric Glamour wardrobe bursting with color, energy and attitude. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 What Luvanga can bring to the Spirit The Tanzanian’s skill set could round out the attacking portfolio on a Spirit side already bursting with creativity. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 That sequence, bursting with vitality, lushly textured visuals and provocative images, feels like a reward for staying the course with this sprawling two-part director’s cut, which runs an epic seven hours and 25 minutes. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 The Fire Department rescued numerous residents who had become trapped by the flames, which were seen bursting from the building, KCTV5 reported at the time. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026 This short, high-spirited tall tale careens through an all-Black Oklahoma town bursting with gossip, humor and a thirst for justice. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026 Sip local wines like Norton or Vignoles, hop around downtown, or wander through orchards bursting with ripe apples while leaves crunch underfoot. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bursting
Adjective
  • Taylor received the medication in four pre-filled syringes, but wanted a lower dose.
    — Kara McGrath, Allure, 15 Sep. 2026
  • New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have introduced or passed legislation penalizing the practice and requiring employers to disclose hiring timelines or remove filled postings, while Texas has opened its own investigation into a major job board.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • If the caldera had collapsed after the eruption, the landslide deposits should lie on top of the pyroclastic layers.
    — Yook Ji Hun, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Charred to a crisp during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in AD 79, hundreds of papyrus scrolls lie tucked away unread in Italy’s National Library of Naples.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • But as the cost of producing a unit of intelligence collapses, the amount businesses consume is exploding.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • For Virgin-Morgan, that means more consistently exploding off the line of scrimmage and winning the edge or gap.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Man searching with metal detector unearths massive Viking Age fortune, shattering records.
    — , FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Last week a number of concerned mathematicians, many of them at the top of their subject, launched the Association for Human Mathematics (AHM)—an effort that was underway even before the earth-shattering Navier-Stokes news.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Sources are buzzing that the movie directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Tom Holland will have extra footage that includes, but is not limited to, Rosario Dawson’s character Claire Temple.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • With sport fields and courts, playgrounds, a community center, pool, splash pad, and more, the spot is always buzzing with activity.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The whirlwind that is September in Paris, intensified this year by Celine Dion’s residency and Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the capital, continues with a packed fashion week.
    — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The lively spot is known for its colorful cocktails, packed calendar of weekly events and specials, and consistently delicious Mexican fare.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • There’s been an explosion that has caused a giant ice shelf dubbed Judy, one roughly the size of Boston, to detach.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Blowing up a nuclear bomb in space would first destroy or disable any nearby satellites, and then the damage would spread as electronics-frying energetic particles from the explosion contaminated huge swaths of orbit.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Jentleson compares the power of fusing race and these questions of fairness to detonating a nuclear warhead.
    — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In a secret 1958 project, the Air Force considered detonating a nuclear bomb on the Moon.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bursting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bursting. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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