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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
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 After the bursting of the dot-com bubble in 2000, the economy slipped into a recession in 2001 and was further shaken by the September 11 terrorist attacks. Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 June 2026 Dalio stressed that a bubble forming and a bubble bursting are different events. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 June 2026 In central defence, Saliba and Gabriel edge out Marquinhos and Pacho, although Gabriel must be alert to cover the space left behind by Mendes’s lung-bursting runs forward. Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 29 May 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
  • 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
  • Maybe the sign-up flow has too many fields, the first action users need to take isn't obvious or there's a setting that should have been pre-filled.
    Kelli Behan-Aspland, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Geology Agency cautioned that volcanic activity remains elevated and the probability of further eruptions is still high.
    Niniek Karmini, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The volcano launched ash into the air and into the city of Jakarta and the Lampung province during a 25-hour-long eruption.
    Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The cost of living for middle class families for average Americans is exploding.
    NBC news, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Octane measures how well fuel resists exploding prematurely under compression in a gasoline engine.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Andrew Haigh is a master of restraint, a talent that he’s often weaponized against his own creations to beautiful and shattering effect.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Last year’s record-shattering monsoon season is heightening the urgency to invest in climate resilience.
    Angelica Ang, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Tonight in Los Angeles, Hollywood is buzzing ahead of the biggest night in television, as stars of the small screen storm the Emmys.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The distillery is situated in the heart of Richmond’s Scott’s Addition, a former industrial district now buzzing with craft breweries and restaurants.
    Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The rise of households with two working parents combined with frequent work travel and packed kids programming has created a demand for operational support, especially for those without family nearby to help.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Nayib Bukele, the autocratic leader of El Salvador, went on Tucker Carlson’s show to defend his own program of mass arrests and packed prisons.
    Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Among the most destructive munitions in Western military arsenals, an MK-84 explosion sends metal fragments in every direction for thousands of feet, can rip through metal and thick concrete, and often creates large craters in the earth.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The supervisor also will have a say in the county’s defense against a multimillion-dollar lawsuit stemming from the deadly 2025 Esparto fireworks explosion.
    Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Bowie planned to put the bomb in a delivery bag and escape to Syria after detonating it, the complaint alleges.
    Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Just weeks before her confrontation with Cunningham, Carrington sent shockwaves through the WNBA by publicly detonating her former relationship on social media.
    Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bursting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bursting. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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