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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of popped
The tense conversation continued for several minutes before a peculiar discrepancy popped up.
—
J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 10 Feb. 2026
Cardi, who popped up for a quick cameo during Bad Bunny's Halftime Show and is about to embark on her Little Miss Drama tour, was in the Bay Area to celebrate the big game and attended a Fanatics pre-party looking like a 2000s emo girl-gone-2026.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
Occasionally, Dora the Explorer popped up onscreen to explain the technical rules of football, including what constitutes a false start.
—Bailey Allen, The Providence Journal, 8 Feb. 2026
And taxable bond ETFs popped, with $46 billion from investors in net inflows for the month, led by Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) and the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT).
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
Republican lawmakers had been in lockstep behind the president’s mass-deportation plan, but signs of dissent have popped up since Pretti’s killing.
—Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
About one week into living together, Pettine popped into Smith’s office at the Vikings’ facility and said to follow him down the hall.
—Andrew Callahan, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
For locals, the cars are an increasingly normal aspect of city life, just like the electric scooters and bike-share racks that have popped up around the country in recent years.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Noma has previously popped up in Tulum and Kyoto.
—Emily Wilson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Jan. 2026
J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 10 Feb. 2026
Cardi, who popped up for a quick cameo during Bad Bunny's Halftime Show and is about to embark on her Little Miss Drama tour, was in the Bay Area to celebrate the big game and attended a Fanatics pre-party looking like a 2000s emo girl-gone-2026.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
Occasionally, Dora the Explorer popped up onscreen to explain the technical rules of football, including what constitutes a false start.
—Bailey Allen, The Providence Journal, 8 Feb. 2026
And taxable bond ETFs popped, with $46 billion from investors in net inflows for the month, led by Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) and the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT).
—Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
Republican lawmakers had been in lockstep behind the president’s mass-deportation plan, but signs of dissent have popped up since Pretti’s killing.
—Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
About one week into living together, Pettine popped into Smith’s office at the Vikings’ facility and said to follow him down the hall.
—Andrew Callahan, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
For locals, the cars are an increasingly normal aspect of city life, just like the electric scooters and bike-share racks that have popped up around the country in recent years.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Noma has previously popped up in Tulum and Kyoto.
—Emily Wilson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for popped
Verb
-
Ivermectin as a cancer treatment exploded in popularity in January 2025 after actor Mel Gibson suggested on Joe Rogan’s podcast that ivermectin cured three friends of advanced cancer.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Prigozhin died months after the aborted rebellion when his plane exploded in mid-air.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ari Long made four three-pointers while scoring 16 points to lead the Ducks (18-8, 6-7), who had a four-game winning streak snapped.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Photographers snapped a shot of Robert and Jane jointly holding the letter and looking at each other.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Richarlison had just scored, and all of the momentum was with Spurs, but Romero’s dismissal shattered their chances of finding an equaliser.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
That tranquility was shattered when deputies with the Sheriff's Department had journalists leave the area and blocked off streets with deputies and traffic cones.—
Sarah Lapidus,
AZCentral.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
He was drilled by Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon on his second interception as Witherspoon hit Maye’s arm and the ball floated out of his hands and right to Nwosu, who had nothing but open field in front of him.—
Greg Dudek,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Instead, Jason Myers drilled his third field goal of the game, giving the Seahawks a 9-0 lead with 11 seconds to go.—
February 9,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Asif said the mosque's security guards tried to intercept the suspect, who opened fire at them and then detonated his explosives among the worshippers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Ollis then moved between the insurgent and Cierpica and died when the suicide vest detonated, the military has said.—
Aaron Navarro,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For some reason, Scott got so hyped up during his performance that the rapper all of a sudden turned to the Fanatics sign on the wall behind him and smashed it, according to TMZ.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The cars, about 20 of them, had their windows smashed and looked as though they were made in the 1940s or 1950s.—
Kathleen Hill,
The Providence Journal,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The nurse checked all your bells and whistles and plugged notes into your chart before noticing that the tape holding your breathing machine in place needed adjusting.—
Jasmin 'Iolani Hakes,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
-
To stay competitive, Kleiner will need every partner plugged into the pipeline of game-changing startups and visionary founders.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Back then, the average team still featured three starters who threw enough innings to qualify for the ERA title, probably had an ace who blew past 200 innings and had multiple pitchers with double-digit wins.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
After Lathan Sommerville drew consecutive trips to the line, and no whistle blew when Dent was contacted on a drive, Cronin ran onto the court, throwing his fists in anger, and yelling at an official.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Popped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/popped. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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