popping

present participle of pop
1
as in exploding
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure a balloon popped suddenly and startled us all

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in snapping
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
4

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 popping The Jets put up 276 yards of total offense — hardly eye-popping numbers. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 When word got around, more famous people started popping in, Delany says. — Sam Kashner, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026 As one who is often researching the latest beauty treatments that brides are obsessing over, Xerf kept popping up during my scrolls. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026 Chicken Salad Chick adds Olathe location Chicken Salad Chick, a fast-casual franchise that’s been popping up around the Kansas City metro, is opening a fourth location. — Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026 While buyers can find myriad non-sports cards for less than $10 — almost like investing in penny stocks in hopes of eventually striking gold — Maddalena and Ireland cited some eye-popping sales on their respective platforms. — Bob Woods, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026 The eye-popping number underscores what residents and city leaders say is a major speeding problem on the twisting roadway. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Since 2020, Alanis Morisette has made a habit of popping up during the holiday season to cover a classic Christmas song. — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026 Much of that flood of silicon is going to the data centers that are popping up all over and are increasingly controversial as AI prepares to remake the economy, work, life and thought. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for popping
Verb
  • Carousel music mixed with the thunderous roar of roller coaster carts exploding through dizzying loops and heart-stopping drops.
    — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The team that finished 24th in the league in runs scored, exploding for seven runs in game one of the ALCS against one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • And captured the juiciness of ripe strawberries, snapping the fruit into sweet focus in a pint of strawberry and passion fruit ice cream.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • These new defects let the material keep deforming safely under extreme pressure instead of snapping.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • You’re always getting blindsided by massive, earth-shattering events.
    — Adam B. Vary, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The only trace left of a content shoot earlier in the day is a smidge of smokey eye makeup, while a pair of black, ankle-shattering Jimmy Choo stilettos have been replaced with khaki trainers.
    — Sophie Williams, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Eventually, Chili invites Lee over to his house, far away from the ears of his former colleagues shooting pool at Secrets.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Thompson finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 2-of-7 shooting on threes in 23 minutes.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Akhtar the author, though, is conducting a stealthy psyop aimed at detonating the certainties of combatants on both sides.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Jentleson compares the power of fusing race and these questions of fairness to detonating a nuclear warhead.
    — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Seeing a few chapters out of context is not going to deliver the same thrill as cracking open the new book and reading as the author intended.
    — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers developed their fiber-optic system to detect acoustic emissions, or small vibrations produced when materials undergo changes such as cracking.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Holt had been smashing the glass of a jewelry kiosk stand with a blunt object, police said.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Perhaps the squad took his ball-respecting mantra to its logical extreme, seemingly reluctant to sully it by smashing it into the net, with Chelsea recording the biggest xG underperformance in the Premier League during his brief tenure.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Public-health and environmental advocates have also raised concerns about drilling near communities, including potential air- and water-quality harms.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The strings were installed by drilling holes with hot water, lowering the modules into the ice and allowing the holes to refreeze.
    — Daniella McCahey, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Popping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/popping. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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