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

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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

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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

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 popping Some data storage companies have seen even more eye-popping gains. — Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026 Social media campaigns are popping up online, urging women to place their bets on sites like Kalshi and Polymarket. — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 1 July 2026 For the World Cup final, the dozen plush, cinema-like seats are selling for an eye-popping $1 million each, with many of them already on hold. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 30 June 2026 Alongside cooling centers and service vans, the city will also be popping up cooling stations specifically for outdoor workers. — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 30 June 2026 Americans are popping more supplements – and fewer multivitamins – than ever before, a new study found. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 Some of these eye-popping rocks are so massive and expensive, they're rarely seen in public—but their owners serve up a rare glimpse now and then to remind the world that diamonds really are a girl’s best friend. — Freya Drohan, InStyle, 30 June 2026 Additionally, the company is offering a non-alcoholic beverage aptly named the Firework Fizz, which launched June 25 and has strawberry popping boba for a festive effect. — Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 1 July 2026 With the action ramping up, Forbes dug into some of the tournament’s more eye-popping numbers, from the $713,000 World Cup trophy to the $50 million in prize money that’s set aside for the winning team. — Sarah Whitmire, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for popping
  1. exploding
  2. snapping
  3. shattering
  4. shooting
  5. detonating
  6. cracking
  7. smashing
  8. drilling
Verb
  • Flashes from exploding drones and missiles lit up the night, and loud booms echoed through Kyiv.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • As SkyCal flew towards Huntington Park, dozens of rounds of fireworks were seen exploding over parts of Los Angeles, just minutes after the whistles blew in Estadio Azteca, surpassing the Round of 32 for the first time since 2018.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of exploding
Verb
  • Paris Barraza Eventgoers at America’s Block Party Benefit Show at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum are snapping photos with a President Abraham Lincoln on stilts, playing corn hole – known as bags to some – and carrying cans of beer.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • During the show, Travis got on stage as one of the pop star's backup dancers before later snapping a selfie with William, George and Charlotte.
    — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of snapping
Verb
  • SoCal’s housing market growth SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has unleashed a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • At the very least, the attacks have brought the war home even more poignantly for millions of Russians, shattering Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of shattering
Verb
  • The film began shooting on location in Anglesey, North Wales, at the end of June.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 3 July 2026
  • Olivia Wilde says that a drowning scene became a little too real while shooting one of her earliest movies.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
Definition of shooting
Verb
  • In one video a drone runs into protective netting at least 50 feet above the target and detonating prematurely.
    — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Investigators found that Aliji intended to drive a Volkswagen Beetle equipped with fake police sirens and flashing blue lights toward crowds outside the venue before detonating explosives concealed inside a Red Bull can.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Definition of detonating
Verb
  • Steven Galanis, Co-Founder and CEO at Cameo, discusses creators, celebrities, cracking the code and the state of the creator economy with Scott Soshnick at Cannes Lions.
    — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026
  • Policymakers should treat it as a reminder that the country’s foundations are still cracking — and if the drift continues, the next rupture will be something darker.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of cracking
Verb
  • Djokovic became so frustrated that he was given a code violation warning for smashing a racket, before eventually hauling himself over the line.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan joined in the fun Friday, serving and smashing with a paddle in a San Jose Earthquakes jersey.
    — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Definition of smashing
Verb
  • Although the video does include a rig that involves drilling a mast beam (or thwart) into the canoe’s upper hull edge ( or gunwales), there is also a route that instead uses clamps.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
  • Paramount also must win the approval of British and European regulators, who are known for drilling deeply into media matters because of their influence on society.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of drilling

Browse Nearby Words

poppets
popping
popping (in)
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Cite this Entry

“Popping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/popping. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of popping for Spanish Speakers

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