POPS Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

pops 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of pop

as in claps

a loud explosive sound the soda can opened with a sharp pop

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pops

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of pop

as in dads

a male human parent ask your pop if he knows where the keys to the shed are

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pops

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of pop

as in explodes

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

as in snaps

to break suddenly with an explosive sound the last strand popped, causing the chandelier to drop to the floor with a great crash

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as in shatters

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

as in shoots

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 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 pops

Noun

With color in high demand for the last two seasons, Calik Denim presented red and green overdyes, brown-blue casts and pops of red and robin’s-egg blue. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026 Expect macabre decor with pops of hot pink and plenty of glitter. — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2026 Fatty tuna collapses on the tongue, with salty pops of caviar and green onion. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 The predominantly beige canvas comes spring loaded with pops of color, notably a sunset orange shade. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026 Although bright whites dominate the hotel’s design, the warmth of unvarnished wood furniture does much to temper its starkness, and judicious use of pops of colour – fresh greens, yellows and florals – gives visual interest to the luxe space. — Julia Wytrazek, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026 The Lynn Philharmonia, under the direction of Maestro Jon Robertson, presents inaugural pops concert gala featuring some of America’s most iconic orchestral music. — Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 The time-only two-hander is resolutely Brutalist in style, with sharp, geometric lines, an ultra-thin rectangular case, and bold pops of burgundy. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2026 The teenager, though, had ambitions to walk onto the field in a black and gold uniform like his pops. — Sam McDowell 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026

Verb

To shoppers, the chain disappears, until next September or so, when another store pops up somewhere in the neighborhood. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026 Here’s a prime example of a more cryptic style of clue that sometimes pops up in late-week puzzles. — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Every so often, the seven-seat Negroni Room pops up for an experiential, all-sensory food-and-drink experience dedicated to its namesake legend—book your spot in advance. — Jaclyn Degiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 Packing over a billion vibrant shades powered by Quantum Dot technology and Dolby Vision HDR, every scene pops with stunning realism. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026 Out of his pocket Kip pops what looks like a top-hat fragment. — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 The two talk about the smoke shop that opened nearby, and Bennett pops her head in the door to take a look around. — Dan Snyder, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Older adults and women in particular can experience hormonal acne that pops up along the jawline and chin, Aguh said. — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 There is a very significant debate among economists about the question, should the Fed try to prevent bubbles, pop bubbles, just clean up after the bubble pops? — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pops

Noun

The entire gymnasium roared with claps and cheers, the loudest and most fervent applause of the evening.

— Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
The Golf Channel would always be playing in the background; the soft claps were the soundtrack to our slow Saturdays.

— Ivy Odom, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of claps

Verb

Finally, extremely drunk, the young writer explodes in rage, then passes out.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
When the gang war that’s been building all along between the Greasers and the Socs finally explodes in the second act, the violence is conveyed through movement, lighting, sound and just all around scenic brilliance.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of explodes

Verb

With their daughter away at college, Abby and husband Gordy (Arquette) are settling into life as empty nesters when the arrival of a mysterious young woman (Shouse) shatters their sense of safety.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
The attack underscores a widening front in the Iran war and shatters a 2022 ceasefire that had largely halted fighting in Yemen’s civil war.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of shatters

Verb

There’s a level of seriousness that belies the 90-minute comedy film he’s made, which features an imbecilic white rapper who speaks in Caribbean-British slang and a contraption that shoots bullets out of one’s rear end.

— Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
The episode ends with Lee running for his life while McCann shoots into the darkness of the treeline.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of shoots

Noun

Those girls in the hothouses maintained by fathers and uncles certainly would not spare a single thought for Percherette.

— Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Nearly every player on the team is a dad, with seemingly a few players becoming first-time fathers each of the past few seasons.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026