popped; popping; pops
1
: to strike or knock sharply : hit
popped him in the jaw
2
: to push, put, or thrust suddenly or briefly
pops a grape into his mouth
She popped her head in the door.
Pop the pastry in the oven for ten minutes.
3
: to cause to explode or burst open
popped some popcorn
pop the trunk
4
: to fire at : shoot
5
: to take (pills) especially frequently or habitually
6
: to open with a pop
pop a cold beer
7
: to flip (something) into an upturned position
pop a collar
1
a
: to go, come, or appear suddenly
images popping up on the screen
New businesses are popping up all over town.
((figurative)) We were discussing candidates for the job, and your name popped up.
She popped in for a visit.
We're going to pop next door for a minute.
The idea just popped into my head.
The chipmunk popped out of its burrow.
: to move suddenly from one position or state to another
Her eyes popped open.
When I heard the siren, I popped straight up in bed.
b
: to escape or break away from something (such as a point of attachment) usually suddenly or unexpectedly
The lid keeps popping off of the container.
A couple of screws popped loose.
The instant I felt the front tires lurch forward, I applied some throttle and the truck popped free.—
Slaton L. White
Slaton L. White
c
: to be or become striking or prominent
colors that pop
… a mild sauce punctuated with tiny dried shrimp that pop with salinity.—John Kessler
John Kessler2
: to make or burst with a sharp sound
a balloon popped
3
: to protrude or seem to protrude from the sockets : to open very wide
eyes popping with amazement
4
: to shoot with a firearm
5
: to hit a pop fly
—often used with up or out
1
: a sharp explosive sound
2
: a shot from a gun
3
: soda pop
4
: pop fly
5
: power to hit a baseball hard
a hitter with some pop in his bat
6
: a drink or shot of alcohol
7
: a small portion of something that makes a vivid impression
… clean lines … set off by bright pops of color …—Catherine Piercy
Catherine Piercy1
: popular
pop music
: such as
a
: of or relating to popular music
pop singer
b
: of or relating to the popular culture disseminated through the mass media
pop psychology
pop grammarians
pop society
2
a
: of or relating to pop art
pop painter
b
: having, using, or imitating themes or techniques characteristic of pop art
pop movie
1
a
: popular music
b
pops plural
: an orchestra that plays light classical and popular music
went to hear the Boston Pops
also
: light classical and popular music played typically by an orchestra
a summer pops concert
2
: pop art
3
: pop culture
population
point of purchase
Synonyms
Verb
Noun (1)
Noun (2)
Adjective
Examples of pop in a Sentence
Verb
We heard the sound of corks popping as the celebration began.
One of the buttons popped off my sweater.
Guns were popping in the distance.
We popped some popcorn in the microwave.
The popcorn is done popping.
I didn't mean to say that—it just popped out.
Her shoulder popped out of its socket.
He opened the box, and out popped a mouse.
If you are busy, I can pop back in later.
My neighbor popped in for a visit.
Adjective
interested in the pop fiction that most of the other publishing houses happily churned out
Recent Examples on the WebTom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 13 Apr. 2024
Many investors have responded positively to the changes, as evidenced by Citi’s stock popping almost 15% year-to-date — and a thumbs-up from the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Cases have popped up due to international travel and unvaccinated or undervaccinated communities.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024
Then, a series of communication options, including live chat, will pop up.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
The Oscar-winning actor popped into Wheel of Fortune on Monday night to host the beloved game show.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2024
Even though some companies have had April Fools' pranks backfire, each year, more fake products pop up to try and get some laughs and attention.
—USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
Every so often, someone would pop a cherry tomato into his mouth.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
The second batter of the bottom of the first, Fernando Tatis Jr., popped a pitch from Giants starter Daulton Jefferies into foul territory to the right of first base.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
Annie Zaleski, Chron, 5 Apr. 2023
S. Dev, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Just weeks after sources revealed that the tight end and his pop superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift are more or less living together at Swift’s place in Los Angeles, the football player did a video interview in front of a wall Swifties quickly determined was part of her house.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 3 Apr. 2024
The pop superstar is featured on Beyoncé’s new album Cowboy Carter.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Beyoncé may be gearing up to release her first country music album, but this is not the pop superstar's first rodeo.
—Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
In Satoshi Kon’s animated classic, a pop star attempts to jump into television acting and faces violent consequences.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
Since Spears brought pop music to the strip, many artists in the genre have followed suit including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Adele.
U2
U2 can always be counted on for immersive concerts.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024
Before there was pop, rock, or R&B, there was country.
—Riann Phillip, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024
There are 27 categories, with a total of 76 nominees that span all musical genres including pop, urban, música Mexicana and tropical.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024
Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The post included photos of Perry enjoying the concert alongside fellow pop star Rita Ora, who also attended the show with her Oscar-winning husband, Taika Waititi.
—Ruth Kinane, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
According to CrowdTangle, the 22-year-old pop star gained 7 million new followers in just a two-day span.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
Take a look at some of the films that defined pop culture during the Millennial formative years two decades ago.
—Rivea Ruff, Essence, 5 Apr. 2024
The 379 spacious guest rooms are decorated in a neutral color palette with pops of pale lavender and mineral green.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2024
Of course, given the Material Girl’s five-decades on the pop charts, such a choice was often a product of necessity.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
Many of their predecessors tried to jump to country only when their pop careers had sunk, creating a negative view of the practice in Nashville.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2024
Scammers love the odds for running off with hundreds of dollars at a pop.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 26 Mar. 2024
Verb
Justin Lebron hit a one-out single, but Smith responded by getting Will Hodo to pop up to the mound and striking out TJ McCants with his 96th and final pitch.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 13 Apr. 2024
Many investors have responded positively to the changes, as evidenced by Citi’s stock popping almost 15% year-to-date — and a thumbs-up from the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Cases have popped up due to international travel and unvaccinated or undervaccinated communities.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024
Then, a series of communication options, including live chat, will pop up.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
The Oscar-winning actor popped into Wheel of Fortune on Monday night to host the beloved game show.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2024
Even though some companies have had April Fools' pranks backfire, each year, more fake products pop up to try and get some laughs and attention.
—USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
Every so often, someone would pop a cherry tomato into his mouth.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
The second batter of the bottom of the first, Fernando Tatis Jr., popped a pitch from Giants starter Daulton Jefferies into foul territory to the right of first base.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
Adverb
In addition, she’s also toured as a guitarist, violinist, and backing vocalist for the Irish singer-songwriter Hozier and as an opener (and touring band member) for the pop-leaning rocker Butch Walker.
—Annie Zaleski, Chron, 5 Apr. 2023
Adjective
Madonna's attorneys on Thursday filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the pop superstar for starting a concert two hours late, arguing the plaintiffs didn't demonstrate any clear injuries, court documents show.
—S. Dev, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Just weeks after sources revealed that the tight end and his pop superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift are more or less living together at Swift’s place in Los Angeles, the football player did a video interview in front of a wall Swifties quickly determined was part of her house.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 3 Apr. 2024
The pop superstar is featured on Beyoncé’s new album Cowboy Carter.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Beyoncé may be gearing up to release her first country music album, but this is not the pop superstar's first rodeo.
—Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
In Satoshi Kon’s animated classic, a pop star attempts to jump into television acting and faces violent consequences.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
Since Spears brought pop music to the strip, many artists in the genre have followed suit including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Adele.
U2
U2 can always be counted on for immersive concerts.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024
Before there was pop, rock, or R&B, there was country.
—Riann Phillip, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024
There are 27 categories, with a total of 76 nominees that span all musical genres including pop, urban, música Mexicana and tropical.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024
Noun
Back in January, two attendees of a Madonna concert in Brooklyn filed a lawsuit against the 65-year-old pop star, claiming false advertisement and breach of contract due to her tardiness.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The post included photos of Perry enjoying the concert alongside fellow pop star Rita Ora, who also attended the show with her Oscar-winning husband, Taika Waititi.
—Ruth Kinane, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
According to CrowdTangle, the 22-year-old pop star gained 7 million new followers in just a two-day span.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2024
Take a look at some of the films that defined pop culture during the Millennial formative years two decades ago.
—Rivea Ruff, Essence, 5 Apr. 2024
The 379 spacious guest rooms are decorated in a neutral color palette with pops of pale lavender and mineral green.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2024
Of course, given the Material Girl’s five-decades on the pop charts, such a choice was often a product of necessity.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
Many of their predecessors tried to jump to country only when their pop careers had sunk, creating a negative view of the practice in Nashville.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2024
Scammers love the odds for running off with hundreds of dollars at a pop.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 26 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Video
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Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Dictionary Entries Near pop
Cite this Entry
“Pop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pop. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pop
1 of 6 verb
popped; popping
1
: to burst or cause to burst with a pop
the balloon popped
we popped corn
2
: to go, come, push, or enter quickly or suddenly
pop into bed
popped a grape into my mouth
3
: to shoot with a gun
4
: to bulge from the sockets
eyes popping with surprise
5
: to hit a pop fly
pop
2 of 6 noun1
: a sharp explosive sound
2
: a shot from a gun
3
: a flavored carbonated beverage
pop
3 of 6 adverb
: like or with a pop : suddenly
pop
4 of 6 nounpop
5 of 6 adjective1
a
: popular sense 2
pop music
b
: of or relating to pop music
a pop singer
2
: of, relating to, or being the behavior and interests of average people and especially young people
pop
6 of 6 noun
: popular music
listens to pop
Etymology
Verb
Middle English poppen "to hit, burst open"; a word created to imitate the sound made when something bursts open
Noun
a shortened form of poppa, an altered form of papa
Adjective
a shortened form of popular
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