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
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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
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
1 July 2026
Stacking a chemical peel, a retinoid, a new brow lamination kit and an exfoliating body wash in the same week is how irritation, breakouts and chemical burns happen.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
30 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
Maura Higgins, breakout star of The Traitors, grabbed her best tennis whites to ace the style assignment at Wimbledon 2026.
—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
1 July 2026
Stacking a chemical peel, a retinoid, a new brow lamination kit and an exfoliating body wash in the same week is how irritation, breakouts and chemical burns happen.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break out
Verb
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Spontaneous applause erupted — and even some tears were shed — at the battered parking structure where Gil had been entombed since the two temblors struck within seconds of each other on June 24.
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Anyone who thinks that the differences between these sects are minor is invited to read about the wars, massacres and persecutions that erupted between them in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Noun
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The guests’ request for an escape-room experience, while annoying, is much more understandable.
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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
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With no natural predators and the ability to breed year-round, their populations have exploded over the decades.
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In early January 2025, weeks after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down on the streets of New York City, a monstrous wildfire exploded in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Noun
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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.
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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 6 Jul. 2026.
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