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
The bursting of the dot-com bubble helped usher in a relatively mild recession. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026 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
Verb
When a bank of televisions showed horses bursting through the starting gate, feet stomped on the club’s carpet. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026 And every few months, a bursting FedEx envelope from Baltimore would appear at my desk at PRH containing Professor Dixon’s typewritten chunks of new and unpublished writing. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026 People are herby, people are lemony, people are mustardy, bursting at the taste buds with umami. — Raven Smith, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026 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
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
  • Such a cloud is typically linked to an eruption of heavy elements—those created during a neutron star collision and its resulting kilonova.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The night that inspired Gothic literature In 1815, a volcanic eruption in Indonesia released a massive cloud of ash and particulates, large enough to affect global weather.
    — Maria Papadouris, JSTOR Daily, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Prosecutors said the fire smoldered underground for a week before exploding into the deadly Palisades fire.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Even at a time when golf is exploding in popularity, and greens fees are rising at the same rate, getting in a round at East Potomac is an inclusive experience.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Not since the Tesla Cybertruck made its glass-shattering debut in 2019 has a vehicle’s unveiling proven as polarizing as the Luce event.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The move came after a fireball erupted at this past New Year’s event, shattering windows and injuring a child in downtown Boise.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • La Parguera’s main square is buzzing with souvenir shops, street vendors, and local bars that stay lively well into the night.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
  • No wonder there are almost always flies buzzing around the depression, not to mention crunchy beetles and spiders that come to hunt the other invertebrates.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • With roaring support from a packed crowd, Macklemore launched his Free Palestine Tour in Ireland’s capital Monday, just over a month after he was controversially dropped as Ed Sheeran’s supporting act.
    — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Flying to San Diego With a packed helicopter and dwindling fuel, the crew decided to head to the Coast Guard station in San Diego where ambulances were waiting.
    — Jaimie Ding, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Using the Gemini North telescope, Caiazzo and colleagues zoomed in on Pa 30, discovering knots along the strands of gas radiating out from the site of the cosmic explosion, like pearls on a string.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The explosion was set off in front of the local branch of Colombia's tax collection agency near the Francisco de Paula de Santander International bridge.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Akhtar the author, though, is conducting a stealthy psyop aimed at detonating the certainties of combatants on both sides.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Jentleson compares the power of fusing race and these questions of fairness to detonating a nuclear warhead.
    — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bursting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bursting. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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