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
as in shattering
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 shooting
to strike with a missile from a gun
went into the woods hoping to pop the rabbit that was eating our vegetables
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of popping
There are upscale restaurants from around the globe opening every week, and vinyl listening bars are popping up all over town, too.
—
Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Briggs New York Super Stretch Millennium Pull-On Pants Burgundy is the color of the moment, popping up on celebs like Mindy Kaling, Martha Stewart, and Lindsay Lohan.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Giant computer data centers that power artificial intelligence and cloud computing are popping up around California, as are fights with communities that don’t want to live near them.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
For context, the eye-popping numbers for the first round of Styles tickets were for an Amex presale that included merch bundles and other add-ons, with subsequent presales this week coming in at lower price points.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
The tech giant paid an eye-popping $40 million to license worldwide rights to the film, plus a docuseries, after agreeing to give Melania a proper theatrical release before sending it to Prime.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
The worry that artificial intelligence and automation could soon displace large swaths of the workforce—estimates vary from 6% by Goldman Sachs to the eye-popping 50% of white-collar entry-level jobs floated by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei—is eating at employees.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Guests would be able to customize drinks with toppings such as tapioca pearls and popping boba.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Musk warned Wall Street that as part of these plans, the company would be shelling out a lot of cash in the year ahead — an eye-popping $20 billion, more than double what the company spent on capital expenditures in 2025.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 28 Jan. 2026
Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Briggs New York Super Stretch Millennium Pull-On Pants Burgundy is the color of the moment, popping up on celebs like Mindy Kaling, Martha Stewart, and Lindsay Lohan.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Giant computer data centers that power artificial intelligence and cloud computing are popping up around California, as are fights with communities that don’t want to live near them.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
For context, the eye-popping numbers for the first round of Styles tickets were for an Amex presale that included merch bundles and other add-ons, with subsequent presales this week coming in at lower price points.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
The tech giant paid an eye-popping $40 million to license worldwide rights to the film, plus a docuseries, after agreeing to give Melania a proper theatrical release before sending it to Prime.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
The worry that artificial intelligence and automation could soon displace large swaths of the workforce—estimates vary from 6% by Goldman Sachs to the eye-popping 50% of white-collar entry-level jobs floated by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei—is eating at employees.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Guests would be able to customize drinks with toppings such as tapioca pearls and popping boba.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Musk warned Wall Street that as part of these plans, the company would be shelling out a lot of cash in the year ahead — an eye-popping $20 billion, more than double what the company spent on capital expenditures in 2025.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for popping
Verb
-
The overlapping relationships between the three, heightened by external narratives in the press and online, fester in isolation, eventually exploding into tragedy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Yoo thinks the company lost momentum after the 2016 Galaxy Note 7 crisis, when exploding batteries forced a massive recall.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gold and silver prices fell sharply on Friday, snapping a powerful rally that has seen the metals shatter multiple records this year.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Korpisalo made 24 saves in loss, snapping a four-game personal win streak.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Yet for all of Malinin’s athleticism and his Beamonesque ability to take flight what has been most telling in what has already been a world record-shattering Olympic season has been the maturity of his skating, the willingness to take emotional risks in his programs.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Bana and Rocha were among the 615 participants in the 27th annual Waukegan Polar Bear Plunge on Thursday at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, shattering the record of 540 set in 2024, and collectively raising more than $20,000 for Special Recreation Services of Northern Lake County.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Charles Victor Thompson was condemned for the April 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her new boyfriend, Darren Keith Cain, 30, at her apartment in the Houston suburb of Tomball.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Both papers hurried to make the most of this dramatic event, no matter how little reporters actually knew about the identity of the gunman or his motives for shooting four people.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In a post on Telegram, Kiper said a two-story residential building was damaged and that a drone hit an apartment on the 17th floor of a high-rise building without detonating.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Jan. 2026
-
Jayme Thornton Crossfire’s approach of detonating water balloons in midair—which has yet to be patented so the team would not describe it in detail—could eventually change the calculation about how much suppressant is needed to fight fires.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
McNee said any tree that has sap could have frost cracking in the right conditions.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
23 Jan. 2026
-
These alliances focus on cracking the codes of protein mutations prevalent in pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancers—targets that have historically resisted treatment.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Typical 30-minute sessions cost between £35 and £70, although some slots can rise to £200, depending on the size of the room and the number of items up for smashing.—
Will Barker,
TheWeek,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Bystanders have recorded video of officers using a battering ram to get into a house as well as smashing vehicle windows and dragging people out of cars.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Participants can watch Forest Preserve District naturalists demonstrate how to tap a maple tree, then try drilling and setting their own tap, according to a press release.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In its pitch to investors, Fervo includes talking points about how next-generation geothermal uses drilling technology from the oil and gas industry.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Popping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/popping. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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