as in bang
a loud explosive sound
the soda can opened with a sharp pop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in dad
a male human parent
ask your pop if he knows where the keys to the shed are
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to explode
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
a balloon popped suddenly and startled us all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to smash
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 to shoot
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
as in fashionable
enjoying widespread favor or approval
interested in the pop fiction that most of the other publishing houses happily churned out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 pop
Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Bonhams, the international auction house, managed to find such a spread in a 42,000-square-foot space that is knitted from the lower floors of an odd collection of prewar buildings and razed lots, with pops of old brick walls and limestone interrupting expanses of sheer, contemporary glass.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Muhammed Selim Korkutata | Anadolu | Getty Images Spotify’s stock popped 15% as the music streaming platform added more users and bolstered features in newer markets.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
True believers of the conspiracy theory think this happened because the purple Baltimore Ravens had to be eliminated to make way for Travis Kelce's Chiefs and his pop-star girlfriend, Taylor Swift, to draw more fans to the big game.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pop
Noun
Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Bonhams, the international auction house, managed to find such a spread in a 42,000-square-foot space that is knitted from the lower floors of an odd collection of prewar buildings and razed lots, with pops of old brick walls and limestone interrupting expanses of sheer, contemporary glass.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
But out of the gate, a rare color kept popping up for Shiffrin on the video board, at each of her intervals.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Muhammed Selim Korkutata | Anadolu | Getty Images Spotify’s stock popped 15% as the music streaming platform added more users and bolstered features in newer markets.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
LaMonte McLemore, the founder of pop-soul group The 5th Dimension, has died.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
True believers of the conspiracy theory think this happened because the purple Baltimore Ravens had to be eliminated to make way for Travis Kelce's Chiefs and his pop-star girlfriend, Taylor Swift, to draw more fans to the big game.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pop
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pop
Verb
-
The benign case is that China is doing small-scale testing to ensure its weapons won't explode accidentally.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Butler started WeSchool more recently, when interest in at-home learning exploded during the pandemic.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Pascal Siakam scored 30 points, Andrew Nembhard had 24 points and 10 assists and the Indiana Pacers snapped a four-game losing streak by holding off the New York Knicks with a 137-134 overtime victory on Tuesday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Factories added 5,000, snapping a streak of 13 straight months of job losses.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The cars, about 20 of them, had their windows smashed and looked as though they were made in the 1940s or 1950s.—
Kathleen Hill,
The Providence Journal,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The bike then smashes into a metal barricade before coming to rest against a parked car.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
An 18-year-old man accused of fatally shooting his friend during an argument over sharing french fries inside a west Fort Worth apartment was arrested on Monday, according to jail records.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The man initially refused to give the brothers anything, and Kenneth Heath shot Sheridan in the chest.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Long before land conservation became fashionable among billionaires, Ted Turner was buying ranchland with ecological ambition.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Women were very fashionable in Cairo and never dared go out in raggedy clothes.—
Letters To The Editor,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
An explosive test can mean many different things While the major nuclear powers have not detonated a nuclear bomb in decades, that doesn't mean work on nuclear weapons stopped.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The statement said the attacker on Friday opened fire on security guards who tried to stop him at the main gate before detonating his explosive vest after reaching the mosque's inner gate.—
MUNIR AHMED,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When Mom reached Dad on the telephone in the White House pantry to commiserate over the earth-shattering news, Dad’s response was disbelieving.—
John Wrory Ficklin,
Time,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But there are no predictions of record-shattering win totals this time – even as the Dodgers head into the season as favorites to three-peat.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Kennard drilled a three pointer off a pass from Reaves to give the Lakers a 92-88 lead in the fourth quarter.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
In the winter, Govert comes out to the lake to drill holes in the ice to measure the thickness.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Pop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pop. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
