popped

verb

past tense of pop
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
as in snapped
to break suddenly with an explosive sound the last strand popped, causing the chandelier to drop to the floor with a great crash

Synonyms & Similar Words
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 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 popped Small, boutique brands have popped up in recent years with alternatives, usually marketed toward women. — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 But in Saturday’s game, the cornerback’s tendency to commit errors popped up, as he was flagged for two penalties in coverage. — Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026 The popular, colorful beverage first debuted as a limited-time item in 2017 and popped up earlier this summer at the Coachella Music Festival, according to Starbucks. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026 Then, in January 2023, a Miami Herald article popped up focused on police asking for tips in Hanin’s disappearance, at that point a cold case. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026 Maersk shares popped 7% in morning European trade Thursday after the company hiked its 2026 earnings guidance for the second time this year. — Jenni Reid,sam Meredith, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026 Decked out in rainbow colors, Kotb embraced Hope and Haley Joy, who popped in their own colorful costumes. — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026 When Ruiz and Hernandez collided, the ball popped up and over the wall for a home run. — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026 The stock popped after the latest numbers, up 7% in premarket trading. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for popped
  1. exploded
  2. snapped
  3. shattered
  4. drilled
  5. detonated
  6. smashed
  7. plugged
  8. blew
Verb
  • Prediction market platforms have exploded in popularity in recent years, facing condemnation from lawmakers and others who argue the sites commodify human suffering and, in some cases, incentivize wrongdoing.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • For example, shares of medical platform Doximity exploded earlier this month when CEO Jeffrey Tangney said that the company's AI search product is pulling in revenues-per-search that are 10 times what the tool costs to run.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of exploded
Verb
  • The Cubs snapped a two-game skid and ended the White Sox's three-game winning streak.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Son’s four-match MLS scoring streak coming off the World Cup break was also snapped.
    — Josh Gross, Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of snapped
Verb
  • Twin earthquakes in June shattered Venezuela’s coastal state of La Guaira, transforming a Caribbean playground into a landscape of ruin and grief.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The east Charlotte shooting left church and school bus windows shattered and children crying.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of shattered
Verb
  • The two-time All-Star shot 4 of 6 from the field and drilled two 3s.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Peters then drilled a first-pitch fastball from Tigers starter Jackson Jobe over the right-field wall for the tying two-run home run, his seventh of the season.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of drilled
Verb
  • Trump in a Truth Social post said the United States' naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect and that mines in the Strait of Hormuz had been removed or detonated.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The older Green Lantern taunted the alien so much, that the creature detonated itself, blowing a hole into the side of the jail.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of detonated
Verb
  • Not the first time This is far from the first incident where brazen criminals have smashed through stores and banks in Maryland to steal cash machines.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • MuMe’s security systems were triggered when the thieves smashed glass display cases in the museum.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of smashed
Verb
  • Also mentioned around the time of the Remix reveal was an imminent update to the standalone base Polymega unit, which doesn’t need a PC t0 run and can be plugged directly into a TV or monitor via HDMI.
    — Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • What a new staff means for Benton The previous coaching staff immediately plugged Benton in as a nose tackle in the base defense and was reluctant to move him.
    — Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of plugged
Verb
  • For more than a decade after, human-AI teams ruled the sport until AI alone blew past those hybrids by 2017.
    — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • An American Airlines flight blew two tires upon landing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Monday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
    — Benjamin Stein, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of blew

Browse Nearby Words

pop off
popped
popped (in)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Popped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/popped. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on popped

Nglish: Translation of popped for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All