as in to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently
in the wake of news reports of deaths from the flu, panic broke out, and there was a mad rush for flu shots
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
the captives had been planning to stage a breakout at the next change in shift for the guards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break out
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Gaines, a 6-3, 205-pounder, was a backup for two years at Iowa State before breaking out last season with Rhode Island, catching 65 passes for 1,018 yards and four touchdowns.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Somewhere between his breakout in Mani Ratnam‘s ‘Gitanjali’ in the late 1980s and his forthcoming 100th film, Akkineni Nagarjuna has made four decades feel like a beginning.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break out
Verb
An offense that had been starved for runs since an Opening Day outburst eight days prior finally broke out, giving McLean some run support early in the game.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Gaines, a 6-3, 205-pounder, was a backup for two years at Iowa State before breaking out last season with Rhode Island, catching 65 passes for 1,018 yards and four touchdowns.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
While viral videos often blame everything from breakouts to dullness on air conditioning alone, Jafari says the reality is less dramatic.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Somewhere between his breakout in Mani Ratnam‘s ‘Gitanjali’ in the late 1980s and his forthcoming 100th film, Akkineni Nagarjuna has made four decades feel like a beginning.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break out
Verb
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The Guardians must protect the Legendary Silver Crystal when a battle erupts with a mysterious enemy during the Celestial Ball and plunges the Moon Palace into chaos.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
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Moore and her fiancé were taking their two young children to grab baby supplies when the gunfire erupted.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The serene setting, where only the wind whispers through the pines, makes this remote ranch perfect for an unforgettable family escape.—
Julie Bielenberg,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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For Havana residents enduring frequent blackouts and shortages, a night of rumba and salsa offers an escape.—
Natalia Favre,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At the same time, the mission will test flight controllers and procedures needed to safely send astronauts back to the moon for long-duration stays as NASA makes plans for a future moon base.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The hydrogen leaks and unrelated helium blockages stalled the flight for two months, coming on top of years of vexing delays and cost overruns.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Israeli media said cluster munitions, which explode mid-air and scatter bomblets across a wide area, were used in the attack.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
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However, once the existence of dark energy was revealed, the activity of theorists in these arenas simply exploded, with many variants and parametrizations becoming popular or fashionable at various times.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20out. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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