to make a short, quick, explosive sound.
The cork popped.
to burst open with such a sound, as chestnuts or corn in roasting.
to come or go quickly, suddenly, or unexpectedly.
She popped into the kitchen to check the stove.
to protrude from the sockets.
The news made her eyes pop.
Baseball.
to hit a pop fly (often followed byup ).
to pop out.
Informal. to be bright or prominent, especially as against something less distinctive.
I love how the colors pop against the neutral walls.
to shoot with a firearm.
to pop at a mark.
to cause to make a sudden, explosive sound.
to cause to burst open with such a sound.
to open suddenly or violently.
to pop the hood on a car; to pop the tab on a beer can.
to put or thrust quickly, suddenly, or unexpectedly.
He popped the muffins into the oven.
Informal. to cause to fire; discharge.
He popped his rifle at the bird.
to shoot (usually followed by at, off, etc.).
He popped off bottles with a slingshot.
British Slang. to pawn.
Informal.
to take or swallow (pills), especially in excess or habitually; take orally in a compulsive or addictive way.
Popping all those pills will land him in the hospital.
to eat in a continual or thoughtless manner, as snack foods.
popping peanuts at the movies.
a short, quick, explosive sound.
a popping.
a shot with a firearm.
Informal. soda pop.
a drink or portion of an alcoholic beverage, as a drink of whiskey or a glass of beer.
We had a couple of pops on the way home.
Baseball. pop fly.
Informal. a bright or prominent burst of something.
Citrus can add a pop of flavor.
with an explosive sound.
The balloon went pop.
quickly, suddenly, or unexpectedly.
Pop, the door flew open!
pop out to be put out by hitting a pop fly caught on the fly by a player on the opposing team.
pop in. see pop-in.
pop for to pay or buy for oneself or another, especially as a gift or treat; spring for.
I'll pop for the first round of drinks.
pop up to hit a pop fly.
pop off
to die, especially suddenly.
to depart, especially abruptly.
to express oneself volubly or excitedly and sometimes irately or indiscreetly.
He popped off about the injustice of the verdict.
a pop, each; apiece.
five orchids at $30 a pop.
pop the question, to propose marriage.
They dated for two years before he popped the question.
of or relating to songs that are produced for and popular with mass audiences.
She studied classical music in school, but found a career writing pop songs.
being or relating to a broad genre of music characterized by being highly accessible and commercial, frequently changing sound according to what musical styles are trendy, and often having repetitive lyrics and simple rhythms that are easy to dance to.
She was originally a country singer, but her music has gradually swung toward a more pop sound.
of or relating to pop art.
reflecting or aimed at the tastes of the general public.
pop culture;
pop novels;
pop psychology.
music that is produced for and popular with mass audiences.
It's the first time she's sung pop, as she usually performs opera.
a broad genre of music characterized by being highly accessible and commercial, frequently changing sound according to what musical styles are trendy, and often having repetitive lyrics and simple rhythms that are easy to dance to (often used in combination).
The album's instrumentation mixes the sounds of soul, R&B, and pop.
Here's our list of the top pop rock albums of the year.
popular.
popularly.
population.
to make or cause to make a light sharp explosive sound
to burst open or cause to burst open with such a sound
informal (intr; often foll by in, out, etc) to come (to) or go (from) rapidly or suddenly; to pay a brief or unexpected visit (to)
(intr) (esp of the eyes) to protrude
her eyes popped with amazement
to shoot or fire at (a target) with a firearm
(tr) to place or put with a sudden movement
she popped some tablets into her mouth
informal (tr) to pawn
he popped his watch yesterday
slang (tr) to take (a drug) in pill form or as an injection
pill popping
See clog 1
informal to propose marriage
a light sharp explosive sound; crack
informal a flavoured nonalcoholic carbonated beverage
informal a try; attempt
have a pop at goal
informal an instance of criticism
Townsend has had a pop at modern bands
informal each
30 million shares at 7 dollars a pop
music of general appeal, esp among young people, that originated as a distinctive genre in the 1950s. It is generally characterized by a strong rhythmic element and the use of electrical amplification
( as modifier )
pop music
a pop record
a pop group
informal a piece of popular or light classical music
point of presence: a device that enables access to the internet
internet post office protocol: a protocol which brings e-mail to and from a mail server
Post Office Preferred (size of envelopes, etc)
persistent organic pollutant
popular
popularly
population
an informal word for father
informal a name used in addressing an old or middle-aged man
See soda pop .
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English verb poppen “to strike”; of expressive origin
First recorded in 1860–65; shortening of popular
First recorded in 1820–30; short form of poppa
Probably shortening of Popsicle
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Listening to a pop icon’s latest album: Charli XCX is back with the follow-up to her stratospheric hit record Brat.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
Publishers deliberately design jackets and covers that will pop on Instagram and #BookTok.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Only Swedish pop maestros Abba have breached the seven million mark since, making it an elite club.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Mets fans, always a rational bunch, attributed the turnaround to Grimace throwing out the first pitch at a game and a journeyman infielder who moonlights as a Latin pop singer by the name of Candelita.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Then Grandma Mae’s words pop into my head.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Santa Monica has seen amusement parks come and go over more than 120 years, but POP is of fairly recent and fond memory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2025
Lovell and study co-author Wei-Chiao Huang, postdoctoral scholar in Lovell's lab, are employed by POP Biotechnologies.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 26, 2024
Figures suggest there were 127,000 mesh implants to treat incontinence and POP between April 2008 and March 2017, but campaigners believe the actual number is higher.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2024
Research has also shown that people can accurately self-screen for contraindications to POPs and make the correct decision about whether or not a POP is safe and appropriate for them to use.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2023
He heard the POP of his parachute opening.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Forest Hills, pop. 6,500, is proud of its Westinghouse heritage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025
“As you can tell, the horns were very pop. But we were at that point in our career where we wanted to bring everything back that was analog.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2024
“I knew it was bad. I felt a pop. And then I went to the training room and I was extremely frustrated. I didn’t know how serious it was, but I knew something was wrong.”
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 2, 2022
“Something big is going to pop. Somebody needs to be in charge.”
From Washington Post ● Aug. 16, 2022
“Sugar pop. We always make room for the things that matter.”
From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Préparation Olympique et Paralympique, the French agency known as P.O.P., came about in 2005 after Paris lost its bid for the 2012 Games to London.
From New York Times ● Jul. 23, 2012
We wouldn't be at all surprised to see more manufacturers working on enhanced P.O.P. and working to create dedicated zones of their own inside dealerships.
From Time Magazine Archive
Panelists suggested including examples of diversity and minorities in P.O.P.,
From Time Magazine Archive
Revolution resembles the boardsports mega-stores of Southern California, complete with elaborate company buildouts, fancy P.O.P., and a dense concentration of merchandise on the floor.
From Time Magazine Archive
To achieve this, P.O.P. and displays are kept low for clean sight lines.
From Time Magazine Archive
The scarcity of extreme first-day pops on IPOs encourages Lamont that speculative euphoria may be absent at present.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
"I mean, people have asked here if when he pops his clogs ... can he be stuffed for the museum?"
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
For kids who are fussy eaters, freezing fruit juice or smoothies into ice pops can be a good way to help keep them cool.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
“And if you’re a noir fan who pops on the color, you might enjoy a comic book aesthetic that you’re not familiar with.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Dylan pops out from behind one of the glass tubes.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
He's even popped up in Minecraft, or so the official account claims.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
I think I made an offhand remark on my podcast where I said, “He popped like a balloon.”
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
U.S.-listed shares of SK Hynix popped on Friday as they made its debut on the Nasdaq, giving American investors a new way to buy into the memory boom.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
Kelce popped the question with an elongated old mine cut cushion set within an engraved gold band.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Then the fire alarm went off and everyone’s heads popped up as the lights in the lab changed to flashing bright strobes.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
That’s when one was hastily put together, popping up with little to no detail about what it is or how it operates.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
Heidecker hosts as what may be described as Tim Heidecker as Alex Jones, but not Alex Jones, whom the show has declared dead, popping him “like a balloon” in his car.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Across Havana, private enterprise is transforming the landscape, with new businesses offering cold beer, domestic appliances or car parts popping up at a bewildering rate.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
A host of A-listers have dazzled locals in Wales in recent days after popping up in parts of the country to take part in a new film.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
She tried not to think about the case, but it kept popping into her head!
From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene
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.
