pop the question

Cultural  

1. To “pop the question” is to propose marriage: “They have been going out for so long; I wonder when he'll pop the question.”

---

pop the question Idioms  

1. Propose marriage, as in He picked Valentine's Day to pop the question. [Early 1700s]

---

Example Sentences

The luxury marriage proposal business is booming in Paris with international clients happy to pay thousands to pop the question in the most romantic way possible in the City of Love.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Somehow the burning need to just know what his intentions might be gave me the courage to pop the question: “Do you think you’ll ever get married again?”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2025

While 27,500 runners were huffing and puffing their way around Sunday's Cardiff Half Marathon, one of them seemingly felt it was a case of perfect timing to pop the question.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2023

So when it came time to pop the question to his girlfriend, Ann, in 1989, DeHovitz decided to place a reader ad himself: “Ann, my love for you is forever! Please marry me. Love, Ross.”

From New York Times • May 9, 2023

“Don’t worry. He’s not going to pop the question or anything,” I reply coolly, though my pulse quickens.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed