as in erupted
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
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Recent Examples of broke out
Evening services were cancelled Wednesday after a fire broke out at the Kittanning Church of Christ in Armstrong County.
—
Mike Darnay, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
But murmurs of laughter broke out a few times when justices noted constitutional tensions in the case.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
At one of these gatherings trouble broke out over girls, glue-sniffing, and hassles caused by confusion over membership in the various branches of the organization.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The Bank of England published its financial stability report today, its first since the US-Israeli war broke out.
—Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 1 Apr. 2026
Iran has effectively halted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that typically saw 20% of global oil flows before the war broke out.
—Anniek Bao,spencer Kimball, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
The decision is the latest step taken by Lebanon's government against Iran after the most recent Israel-Hezbollah war broke out on March 2, during which Israel's military killed several members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard in strikes around the long-suffering country.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
The bulk of lobbying contracts filed after the war broke out involve small- and medium-sized companies; however, some household names have gotten in on the rush as well.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
An investment boom in artificial intelligence has kept China’s trade volumes on a path to exceed last year’s record levels, offsetting disruptions from higher oil prices in the weeks after war broke out in Iran.
—Bloomberg, 25 Mar. 2026
Mike Darnay, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
But murmurs of laughter broke out a few times when justices noted constitutional tensions in the case.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
At one of these gatherings trouble broke out over girls, glue-sniffing, and hassles caused by confusion over membership in the various branches of the organization.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The Bank of England published its financial stability report today, its first since the US-Israeli war broke out.
—Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 1 Apr. 2026
Iran has effectively halted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that typically saw 20% of global oil flows before the war broke out.
—Anniek Bao,spencer Kimball, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
The decision is the latest step taken by Lebanon's government against Iran after the most recent Israel-Hezbollah war broke out on March 2, during which Israel's military killed several members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard in strikes around the long-suffering country.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
The bulk of lobbying contracts filed after the war broke out involve small- and medium-sized companies; however, some household names have gotten in on the rush as well.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
An investment boom in artificial intelligence has kept China’s trade volumes on a path to exceed last year’s record levels, offsetting disruptions from higher oil prices in the weeks after war broke out in Iran.
—Bloomberg, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke out
Verb
-
The Crown’s soaked supporters erupted.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Nu Stadium erupted and the game remained knotted 1-1 at halftime.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An asteroid the size of a house exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk with the force of 440,000 tons of TNT, damaging buildings and injuring more than 1,600 people, according to NASA.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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Usually, the fire department starts the program in late April or May, but because of all the weather whiplash the area has seen over the past few months, vegetation has exploded and left many yards and properties with fire hazards.—
Carmela Karcher,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20out. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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