as in bang
a loud explosive sound
the soda can opened with a sharp pop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in dad
a male human parent
ask your pop if he knows where the keys to the shed are
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to explode
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
a balloon popped suddenly and startled us all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to smash
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
popping popcorn over a campfire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to shoot
to strike with a missile from a gun
went into the woods hoping to pop the rabbit that was eating our vegetables
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in fashionable
enjoying widespread favor or approval
interested in the pop fiction that most of the other publishing houses happily churned out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pop
Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Jan. 2026
All of the familiar tropes are there, from the numerous pop songs peppering the action (including one by Phil Collins, just to remind you of Miami Vice) to the profane banter between the two main characters to the endless fights, shootouts and chases to the colorful villain.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Grace Robins-Somerville, Pitchfork, 27 Jan. 2026
CoStar — Shares popped nearly 6% after Third Point launched an activist campaign against the real estate marketplace and analytics company.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Rebecca Milzoff, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
Fortunately, Geologist, née Brian Weitz, is not a pop-minded artist.
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pop
Noun
Cheerful accents, pops of color, and faux greenery make sunny days feel closer, and right now IKEA is a gold mine for home decor starting at just $5.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Jan. 2026
All of the familiar tropes are there, from the numerous pop songs peppering the action (including one by Phil Collins, just to remind you of Miami Vice) to the profane banter between the two main characters to the endless fights, shootouts and chases to the colorful villain.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
To an extent, pop personas are designed for obsolescence—even the most iconic are fallible.
—Grace Robins-Somerville, Pitchfork, 27 Jan. 2026
CoStar — Shares popped nearly 6% after Third Point launched an activist campaign against the real estate marketplace and analytics company.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Heffington is no stranger to the pop world.
—Rebecca Milzoff, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
Fortunately, Geologist, née Brian Weitz, is not a pop-minded artist.
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pop
Verb
-
It's now been 40 years since New Hampshire school teacher Christa McAuliffe died when the space shuttle Challenger exploded.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Just more than a minute after ignition, the ruptured booster caused the shuttle’s giant external fuel tank to explode, tearing the vehicle to pieces over the ocean and dooming all seven astronauts.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Danault snapped it right back to Kaiden Guhle at the blue line and as a mass of humanity formed in front of the Vegas net, Guhle attempted a shot that quickly deflected back toward the Canadiens’ zone.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
As soon as Robinson snapped the blade in, Khusnutdinov jumped onto the ice and joined the weave in the offensive zone, dropping the puck for the circling Pastrnak, who then executed the pretty give-and-go with McAvoy for the winner.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
An agent pepper sprayed him, smashed his window and dragged him out of the car, according to his account.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
-
By smashing together heavy atoms of lead traveling at near-light speeds using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), scientists can create a high-energy environment that briefly frees gluons and quarks from this atomic bondage, recreating the quark-gluon plasma of the early universe.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The initial compromise on ICE guardrails came after an agent fatally shot Renee Good on the streets of Minneapolis earlier this month.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Charles Victor Thompson was condemned for the April 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her new boyfriend, Darren Keith Cain, 30, at her apartment in the Houston suburb of Tomball.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Not the flashiest or most fashionable, but the most exquisitely made, the most precise.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
-
For others, a maxi-length puffer or cuddly Teddy Bear coat could coax them out the door with a little fashionable flair.—
Frances Solá-Santiago,
InStyle,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gemma then detonates the device.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
-
On Unknown Pleasures, the producer had taken Joy Division’s dense goth-punk sound into a frozen field and detonated it.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The sequence of Enoch among the heavenly hosts, violent, shattering with Blakeian geometry and color.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Family describes unimaginable grief In a statement, Grace Brito's mother, Tracy Brito, described a family shattered by the loss of their daughter.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Carter also drilled two 3-pointers and did a little bit of everything while racking up seven rebounds, three assists and a steal.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
With five seconds to play before the break, Madden drilled a three-pointer from distance, providing the Hawks a 28-25 lead at intermission.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Pop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pop. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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