popped

verb

past tense of pop
1
as in exploded
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 snapped
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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3
as in shattered
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 drilled
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 popped Social media videos have popped up showing young women on scooters wearing helmets, but no headscarves. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026 Bowry’s inconsistencies popped up for a second straight game, which should give Grable every opportunity to be the Bills’ primary reserve swing tackle to open the season. — Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Entertainment industry deaths Internet would-be sleuths have popped up in Zach’s Hickerson’s comments on social media this week. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Chen popped in a 30-foot 3-pointer with a minute remaining to give the Valkyries a three-point lead, and then kept the advantage at three with a slick layup over a contest after Chicago scored. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026 The leaks have popped up ahead of Rockstar’s big extended preview of the game that is set to debut on Netflix on August 27th. — Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 21 Aug. 2026 Partners Coffee has four brick-and-mortar shops in New York, Hydrangea popped up in California, Aviary Coffee in Cleveland, The Picky Chemist in Belgium, and the sleek newcomer Watchhouse from the UK will open five stores in New York City this year. — Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The popular, colorful beverage first debuted as a limited-time item in 2017 and popped up earlier this summer at the Coachella Music Festival, according to Starbucks. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026 Then, in January 2023, a Miami Herald article popped up focused on police asking for tips in Hanin’s disappearance, at that point a cold case. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for popped
  1. exploded
  2. snapped
  3. shattered
  4. drilled
  5. detonated
  6. smashed
  7. plugged
  8. blew
Verb
  • Alexandria Sheriff's Office via AP Flight 103 was 31,000 feet over Lockerbie when a bomb in the plane's forward cargo area exploded 38 minutes after takeoff from London Heathrow Airport.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • These markets, which allow traders to wager on anything from sports to elections and pop culture, have exploded over the past two years.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of exploded
Verb
  • The victory snapped a streak that had beguiled the second-year franchise even in the midst of an unprecedented level of success for an expansion team in the WNBA.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Cramer’s comments Tuesday came shortly after Nvidia snapped a seven-session losing streak, its longest slump since September 2022.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of snapped
Verb
  • Windows were shattered at a children’s hospital in the Solomianskyi district, said Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko.
    — Kosta Gak, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Cops responding to the area found a window shattered by gunfire and a pool of blood inside Hakim’s, a nearby seasonal restaurant for adults that neighbors say has become a teen hangout.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of shattered
Verb
  • This is out of kilter with the other younger referees coming through, who either lack personality or have been drilled not to show it.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • And when teammate Harrison Butker drilled a 69-yard field goal, Mahomes literally jumped for joy during the game in Tampa, Florida.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of drilled
Verb
  • Trump in a Truth Social post said the United States' naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect and that mines in the Strait of Hormuz had been removed or detonated.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The older Green Lantern taunted the alien so much, that the creature detonated itself, blowing a hole into the side of the jail.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of detonated
Verb
  • Not the first time This is far from the first incident where brazen criminals have smashed through stores and banks in Maryland to steal cash machines.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • MuMe’s security systems were triggered when the thieves smashed glass display cases in the museum.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of smashed
Verb
  • Also mentioned around the time of the Remix reveal was an imminent update to the standalone base Polymega unit, which doesn’t need a PC t0 run and can be plugged directly into a TV or monitor via HDMI.
    — Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • What a new staff means for Benton The previous coaching staff immediately plugged Benton in as a nose tackle in the base defense and was reluctant to move him.
    — Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of plugged
Verb
  • Two exes alleged Watts blew past their boundaries to satisfy his own needs.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Shakur’s killing on the Las Vegas Strip in 1996 blew these tensions wide open, though the case remained unsolved for decades.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of blew

Browse Nearby Words

pop off
popped
popped (in)
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Cite this Entry

“Popped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/popped. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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