(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.
Snippets of Mozart’s, on the other hand, pop up in action movies, video games and TV shows all the time.
From Salon • May 16, 2026
We don't expect to see or hear from him this weekend, whereas Burnham and Streeting are both likely to pop up.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
I’ve been living with Dr. Becky content for almost a month, including the reminders that pop up on my phone to engage with the content.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
In the Netherlands, they pop up on a marketplace called Marktplaats.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 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
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.
