1
as in exploded
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
a balloon popped suddenly and startled us all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in shattered
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 drilled
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of popped
Murals depicting him mid-throw popped up in the city virtually overnight.
—
Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Applovin — The software stock popped more than 6% on the heels of its better-than-expected quarterly results.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Even then, the first name that popped up was indeed Kravitz’s.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 4 Nov. 2025
Some have come as a surprise, but most of the big-name option decisions have popped up in reports and have been made official.
—Patrick McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
The first one popped up in 2016 at the Guggenheim in New York City, where visitors were invited to use the sculpture.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
Most recently, Cook popped up at the Los Angeles premiere of Prinze's movie, The Girl in the Pool, in July 2024.
—Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Meta has a long history of beating Wall Street estimates, and the company's stock popped 12% following its last report.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
After the Wild pressured, but did not score, on their first power play, the Sharks doubled their lead when Wallstedt thwarted a rush to the net, only to have the puck squirt through a crowd to rookie Michael Misa, who popped it past the goalie’s outstretched skate.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2025
Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Applovin — The software stock popped more than 6% on the heels of its better-than-expected quarterly results.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Even then, the first name that popped up was indeed Kravitz’s.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 4 Nov. 2025
Some have come as a surprise, but most of the big-name option decisions have popped up in reports and have been made official.
—Patrick McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
The first one popped up in 2016 at the Guggenheim in New York City, where visitors were invited to use the sculpture.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
Most recently, Cook popped up at the Los Angeles premiere of Prinze's movie, The Girl in the Pool, in July 2024.
—Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Meta has a long history of beating Wall Street estimates, and the company's stock popped 12% following its last report.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
After the Wild pressured, but did not score, on their first power play, the Sharks doubled their lead when Wallstedt thwarted a rush to the net, only to have the puck squirt through a crowd to rookie Michael Misa, who popped it past the goalie’s outstretched skate.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for popped
Verb
-
But things do appear to have exploded dramatically in the last half-decade.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Drug-overdose numbers exploded.—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Arizona Cardinals have finally snapped their five-game losing streak, doing so in convincing fashion with a 27-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
As the ball was snapped, the Bengals rushed four, including cornerback Dax Hill.—
Kevin Fishbain,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The strength to sit with what shattered before building what’s next.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Over the years, he's developed a reputation for flying vintage airplanes, even after suffering a near-death plane crash that left his right ankle and pelvis shattered and his back broken in March 2015.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Little drilled a 68-yard field goal in a 30-29 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders to set the record for the longest field goal made in NFL history.—
Chris Bumbaca,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The prototype drilled through ice samples about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long under vacuum and cryogenic conditions during laboratory experiments, and at greater depths in field tests in the Alps and Arctic, reaching depths of more than a meter in snow.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The move could end a nearly three-decade period during which none of the world’s major nuclear powers have detonated a nuclear weapon.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
-
North Korea is the only nation that has detonated nuclear weapons since 1998.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Other Black residents’ windshields were smashed.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Last night, tech giants like AMD smashed expectations on AI chip demand, and Palantir reported another quarter of strong growth.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Despite the increasing isolation of Stalin’s Soviet Union from the rest of the world, Ioffe and his group were plugged into the international network of physicists throughout the 1920s and most of the 1930s.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Whenever guard Tyler Herro returns from ankle surgery, he’ll be plugged into the starting group likely in Mitchell’s place.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The crowd at the Rogers Centre nearly blew the roof off the place as Bichette jogged around the bases.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The retail giant was by far the strongest force lifting the S&P 500 after reporting profit for the latest quarter that blew past analysts’ expectations.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Popped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/popped. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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