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
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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 25-year-old from California opened the final with some swagger, popping four aces in the first game, but his self-assurance quickly ebbed. Ava Wallace, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 The eye-popping gains of Nvidia, Micron, Alphabet and other AI stocks have helped inflate the net worths of millions of Americans by lifting the value of their retirement nest eggs, college savings plans and brokerage accounts. Matt Egan, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 However, the whole reason advocates wanted tighter zoning ordinances was to prevent vacation homes and short-term rentals from popping up everywhere. Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Wrangling a sprawling cast and eye-popping visuals that look lush in either the black-and-white or color versions, the series was not only popular amongst the comic book crowd, but was nominated for a whopping 11 Emmy nominations. Matt Minton, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026 Unfortunately for Kevin, Wile turns out to be an uncooperative client, even when Acme’s smarmy lawyer Buddy Crane (John Cena), with whom Kevin has history, offers an eye-popping $50,000. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 These mega facilities are popping up everywhere which means lots of people are spending insane money instead of pulling out the hose and bucket. Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 But that hasn't deterred EV startups from popping up from time to time. New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026 Now, these slim jeans are popping back up in the fashion world. Renata Joffre, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for popping
Verb
  • Those reforms led to huge reduction in poverty, an exploding middle class and a scramble by foreign companies to access the lucrative Chinese market.
    CNN Staff, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The Tremont fire comes just days after an exploding Tesla in Seattle sent two firefighters to the hospital.
    Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Graham knew that saying forever didn’t necessarily mean forever, and that the result of that promise snapping could break a family irreparably.
    Asha Iyer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Tatis dealt with Patrick throwing over twice, and catcher Gary Sánchez snapping off a pickoff throw.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • In 2018 a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 fan blade snapped, shattering a window and sucking a woman’s head and torso outside of the plane.
    Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Ace protected the three deputies from Bowers but was shot in his left front leg, shattering the bone and tearing an artery that caused massive blood loss.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Mangione faced those charges in connection with the December 2024 shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
    Brian Mann, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Deijae Jester was convicted of fatally shooting the rapper Pop Smoke in 2020 at a home in the Hollywood Hills.
    Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Just weeks before her confrontation with Cunningham, Carrington sent shockwaves through the WNBA by publicly detonating her former relationship on social media.
    Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Anvil is a smaller, faster aircraft designed to destroy hostile drones by colliding with them or detonating nearby.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The process of hydraulic fracturing ekes out oil from older wells, and involves cracking the bedrock several thousand feet below the seafloor by injecting chemical fluids with intense pressure.
    Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Until then, though, a cracking atmosphere is about the best the Racecourse can offer visitors, along with a decent pint in The Turf and a quick getaway via nearby Wrexham General rail station.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This year, conditions including a record-smashing March heat wave led to a surge in California’s native Culex mosquitoes, the transmitters of West Nile virus.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Democratic turnout in these races is smashing through records — not always to the benefit of the left.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • As its name suggests, the beetle bores into trees, drilling tunnels to create breeding galleries.
    Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The nuclear waste well will require drilling it about 22 inches wide instead, nearly triple the size.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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