(of books, usually children's books) having pieces of artwork fastened to the pages so that when the page is opened, a three-dimensional cutout or object is formed and, sometimes, movement of a picture element, such as a door opening, can be activated by pulling a tab.
of or being a device that ejects or raises a finished or used item from the top.
a pop-up toaster.
of or relating to a device, mechanism, or object that rises or pivots from a concealed or recessed position to its operating position.
a camera with a pop-up electronic flash; a car with pop-up headlights.
popping up, as from an appliance or object.
pop-up waffles heated in the toaster; a pop-up gauge for indicating when the turkey is done.
noting or pertaining to a store, restaurant, etc., that temporarily takes over a vacant space and does business there for a short time.
a pop-up store selling Halloween costumes.
Digital Technology. (of a new window or its content) appearing suddenly and temporarily within or in front of an open window on the screen of a computer or mobile device.
Right-click to get a pop-up menu. There are tools to block pop-up ads.
a pop-up book.
Also called pop-out. Also called popout. something, as a partially cut out or spring-mounted illustration in a children's book, that unfolds or springs up when opened or otherwise activated.
a Christmas card with a pop-up of Santa Claus.
Baseball. pop fly.
a pop-up store, restaurant, etc.
Digital Technology. a pop-up window, message, advertisement, etc..
Press the hotkey and the pop-up will appear.
(of an appliance) characterized by or having a mechanism that pops up
a pop-up toaster
(of a book) having pages that rise when opened to simulate a three-dimensional form
computing (of a menu on a computer screen, etc) suddenly appearing when an option is selected
(of a shop, restaurant, venue, or other small business) intentionally opening and closing for business within a very short span of time
a pop-up shop
First recorded in 1860–65 pop-up for def. 9; noun, adjective use of verb phrase pop up
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He cited Bathhouse and Othership, but those hip wellness places are brick-and-mortar establishments, not pop-up events.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Before that, however, I picked up a greeting card, which featured a pop-up display of Donald and Melania Trump in the Oval Office.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Mala Wangzi has opened pop-up museums around the country, held more than 4,000 latiao-themed weddings for superfan couples, and sponsored e-sport events, music festivals, and animation conventions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The launch of the Big Crispy sandwich came with a marketing campaign intended to take fast food to “food court,” with a pop-up event in New York featuring a courthouse facade.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Funhouse country: trick mirrors and curvatures and pop-up monsters.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
The red dot disappeared from the map, only for another to pop up shorty after.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Small price graphics pop up beside the ingredients as they go: 25 cents for the egg, another modest sum for the breadcrumbs.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Hosts arrive early and arrange roughly 10 folding chairs in a loose circle, then pop up a blue canopy tent that can be spotted from 50 feet away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
These cash reserves won’t make you rich, but they are the foundation for financial stability, as they help households avoid taking on high-interest credit-card debt when surprise expenses pop up.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
She drank the rest of the water, and after a few seconds she bounced her shoulder just enough for my head to pop up.
From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds
The social media videos pumped out by many of the city's venues including the newest "pop-ups" made a star out of Charlie the Pug, and everyone green with envy if they missed the latest singalong.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
H&M has set up about a dozen secondhand pop-ups in the past few years, adding preloved sections in Stockholm and Vienna in recent months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
He worked pop-ups, reopened Baohaus and found himself alongside line cooks half his age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
In the loop outside the theater are food trucks, buffets, and more than half a dozen Vancouver-area coffee, tea, and matcha pop-ups serving unlimited boutique offerings.
From Slate ● May 8, 2026
He hit a few easy grounders and pop-ups, and the fielders shouted encouragement to one another in Yiddish.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
