burst 1 of 3

1
as in to explode
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the turnover's crust burst when the filling expanded

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2
as in to shatter
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive finally burst the piñata open with one mighty swing of the bat

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3
as in to bulge
to be copiously supplied a young singer/dancer who seems to be bursting with energy and talent

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burst

2 of 3

noun

burst (forth)

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently hives burst forth on the child's arms and face whenever she goes near that plant

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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 burst
Verb
Carson Diehl burst onto the football scene as a sophomore in 2023. Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2025 Goldee’s Bar-B-Q Fort Worth, Texas Goldee’s burst onto the Texas scene in 2020 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and ever since it’s been one of the hottest draws (and longest waits) in the state. Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Eventually, Slightly and Smee bring Arthur to the beach, where the baby Xenomorph bursts from his chest, killing him. Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025 The moment was electric and gave the crowd a burst of energy to match Fish’s equally electric set. Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for burst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burst
Noun
  • Advertisement The flurry of updates came three days after Robinson was arrested following an intensive hunt for Kirk's killer.
    Richard Hall, Time, 14 Sep. 2025
  • The flurry of summer comes to an end and routine returns.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Sure, other fates are possible, like direct collapse to a black hole or explosions through the pair-instability mechanism, but a core-collapse supernova (also known as a type II supernova) represents the fate of the majority of the most massive stars ever to be born.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Such an explosion would happen to the smallest possible black holes, at most, once every 100,000 years, according to previous theories.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • As part of the new study, Knutsen and her team programmed Perseverance's cameras to watch the sky after solar eruptions known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) blasted in the direction of Mars.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Kamchatka sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic activity frequently triggers earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
    Amanda Castro John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The astonishing Laanstra-Corn does not play Hedvig purely as an innocent; there’s something as dangerous and emotionally labile in her shocked face as there is in Gregers’s explosive outbursts.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Segal advises employers who are weighing their options following a contentious employee outburst to run through a series of questions to determine a course of action.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • New Mexico and Arizona will also see an increase in showers and thunderstorms and a possibility for localized flash flooding today into Friday.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The sirens are concentrated in communities like Crusoe and Lake Logan, which have previously been devastated by flash flooding and where cell service has failed during storms like Helene and Tropical Storm Fred.
    Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Warmed by the fires of partisanship or consumed by the bursting of flames?
    Robert A. Strong, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Their bursting and fierce love for each other and for my brother and me?
    Amanda Uhle August 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The Razorbacks had a 5-4 lead in the fifth set, but Denver rattled off a 4-1 spurt to take the lead for good.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2025
  • There is also a desire for infamy and to have their names and faces splashed across the internet and newspapers for a spurt of violence.
    Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • By Monday evening, the blaze has been fully contained.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Dozens of blazes ignited from those storms.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burst. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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