Synonyms of popping

popping

verb

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

• exploding
• detonating
• blowing
• bursting
• crumping
• going off
• smashing
• blowing up
• shattering
• firing
• splintering
• fragmenting
• mushrooming
• discharging
• burgeoning
• shooting
• ballooning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• imploding
• collapsing
• fizzling

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

• snapping
• cracking
• exploding
• bursting
• crackling
• splitting
• shattering
• clicking
• hissing
• clattering
• sputtering
• rending
• sizzling
• riving
• clacking

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

• shattering
• smashing
• demolishing
• blowing
• bursting
• exploding
• destroying
• blasting
• detonating
• blowing up
• wrecking
• ruining
• decimating
• dynamiting
• annihilating
• splintering
• discharging
• fragmenting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collapsing
• imploding

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shooting
• drilling
• plugging
• dropping
• gunning
• killing
• destroying
• slaughtering
• slaying
• blazing
• bringing down
• peppering
• picking off
• blowing away
• firing (at)
• blasting (at)
• shooting down
• sniping (at)
• massacring
• butchering
• dispatching
• decimating
• wiping out
• shotgunning
• potshotting
• annihilating
• felling
• machine-gunning
• icing
• croaking
• blotting out
• doing in
• pistoling
• tommy-gunning

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of popping

Chicken Salad Chick, a fast-casual chicken salad franchise that’s been popping up around the Kansas City metro, is opening another location. — Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026

She's been modeling, she's been DJing, and she's been popping up at sporting events. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2026

But Suzuki’s two-footedness meant he was relaxed in playing between them, popping passes into the spare player in midfield. — Aston Villa, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

From hand soap dispensers to plush pumpkins, Dollar Tree is the perfect spot for budget-decor items that are already popping up for fall. — Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2026

The eye-popping financial and human costs of post-9/11 security have obscured other consequences. — Michael E. Neagle, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 2026

That shift is why sound bath benefits keep popping up in conversations about how the setting of a first date shapes what happens next. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2026

Ocado sales of shandy have climbed by 40% year-on-year, said Rachel Dixon in The Guardian, and the drink is popping up in supermarkets everywhere. — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 7 Sep. 2026

The sporty outerwear has since become a transitional dressing essential, with plenty more affordable versions popping up from Quince, Gap, and more. — Jordan Julian, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026