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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of break out
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
3 July 2026
Harpring says the city is using smaller fireworks than in previous years and has added additional staff to assist with safety, a decision made after a 10-acre fire broke out in the city earlier this year.
—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
2 July 2026
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Goodfellas has posted a slew of international deals for Spanish directorial duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s Cannes breakout La Bola Negra.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break out
Verb
Two people are dead and at least one more is injured after a shooting broke out between two parties at Fairlane Town Center mall in Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday, police said.
—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
3 July 2026
Harpring says the city is using smaller fireworks than in previous years and has added additional staff to assist with safety, a decision made after a 10-acre fire broke out in the city earlier this year.
—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
2 July 2026
Noun
While the World Cup has had no shortage of unlikely heroes off the pitch, one of the United States' breakout stars has proven particularly bizarre.
—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Goodfellas has posted a slew of international deals for Spanish directorial duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s Cannes breakout La Bola Negra.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break out
Verb
-
The crowd erupted as the ball crunched the back of the net.
-
Following the large blaze that erupted at a Boyle Heights cold storage facility, CBS LA Cares is heading to East Los Angeles to host an ice cream social event to hear directly from residents.
Noun
-
The guests’ request for an escape-room experience, while annoying, is much more understandable.
-
This small city on Florida’s central Gulf Coast offers an escape everyone in the family will enjoy, from toddlers all the way up to the grandparents.
Verb
-
Online sales boomed and Nekhala said his business exploded.
-
Software engineers have arguably been the first class of workers to see the technology upend their jobs, as programming tools like Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex have exploded in popularity.
Noun
-
The flight landed safely at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, where officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department took Lopez into custody.
-
The flight of salsas and chicharrón de queso at Taquearte in Pico Rivera.
Cite this Entry
“Break out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20out. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
