1
as in explodes
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
the turnover's crust burst when the filling expanded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shatters
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in flurries
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
a sudden burst of industriousness whenever the boss appeared
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in explosions
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a burst of anger that startled the other members on the panel
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in eruptions
the act or an instance of exploding
one burst after another could be heard in the distance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bursts
FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Once a cushioned conduit to the other side, the casket now bursts with the wisdom of a life lived outside the box.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
As Antoine Semenyo chases a loose ball down the left flank, left-back Adrien Truffert bursts forward to support him inside.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Sedona Sedona is another popular fall break destination for many reasons, least of all being Oak Creek Canyon, which bursts with color during the autumn months.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
As Alien fans know, the facehugger will impregnate its host with a Xenomorph embryo, which eventually bursts from the host's chest.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
The movie is a tour de force In IMAX, the format’s large screen and huge sound a perfect partner for the purple one’s charisma, which positively bursts off the screen.
—Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Third Thursdays bring the festive Art Walk, when the district bursts with local art, live music, and technicolor vibes.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2025
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The Poison frontman, evoking the regional dialect of his native Pittsburgh, bursts with adrenaline on a typical day.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Offense remained hard to find outside of a pair of six-point bursts from Nolan Traoré and Josh Minott, but Brooklyn at least tightened up defensively in the second quarter.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Scientists say one effect of Earth’s warming is more frequent extreme weather events, including drought and intense bursts of rainfall from an atmosphere that now holds more moisture than in the past.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
The former is the fastest feasible way to get astronauts to Mars, operating at a frightful peak temperature of 4,400 degrees Fahrenheit (2,425 degrees Celsius)—and venting radioactive exhaust—albeit only for short, intense bursts.
—David W. Brown, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026
The world’s largest operating steam locomotive will chug through Northern California next month, its glossy black front emitting bursts of steam and its frame stretching more than half the length of a jumbo jet.
—Brooke Park, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Mar. 2026
This system could bring bursts of rainfall along with isolated thunderstorms.
—Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
People who got more of these intense bursts were less likely to develop chronic conditions like diabetes and dementia.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts.
—FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Once a cushioned conduit to the other side, the casket now bursts with the wisdom of a life lived outside the box.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
As Antoine Semenyo chases a loose ball down the left flank, left-back Adrien Truffert bursts forward to support him inside.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Sedona Sedona is another popular fall break destination for many reasons, least of all being Oak Creek Canyon, which bursts with color during the autumn months.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
As Alien fans know, the facehugger will impregnate its host with a Xenomorph embryo, which eventually bursts from the host's chest.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
The movie is a tour de force In IMAX, the format’s large screen and huge sound a perfect partner for the purple one’s charisma, which positively bursts off the screen.
—Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Third Thursdays bring the festive Art Walk, when the district bursts with local art, live music, and technicolor vibes.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
Videos recorded by passengers show sparks and bursts of flame coming from the engine, lighting up the night sky as the aircraft gained altitude.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The Poison frontman, evoking the regional dialect of his native Pittsburgh, bursts with adrenaline on a typical day.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Offense remained hard to find outside of a pair of six-point bursts from Nolan Traoré and Josh Minott, but Brooklyn at least tightened up defensively in the second quarter.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Scientists say one effect of Earth’s warming is more frequent extreme weather events, including drought and intense bursts of rainfall from an atmosphere that now holds more moisture than in the past.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
The former is the fastest feasible way to get astronauts to Mars, operating at a frightful peak temperature of 4,400 degrees Fahrenheit (2,425 degrees Celsius)—and venting radioactive exhaust—albeit only for short, intense bursts.
—David W. Brown, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026
The world’s largest operating steam locomotive will chug through Northern California next month, its glossy black front emitting bursts of steam and its frame stretching more than half the length of a jumbo jet.
—Brooke Park, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Mar. 2026
This system could bring bursts of rainfall along with isolated thunderstorms.
—Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
People who got more of these intense bursts were less likely to develop chronic conditions like diabetes and dementia.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bursts
Verb
-
There’s an intimacy to it in the verses, and then there’s a big dynamic jump, an octave jump between the verse and the chorus, which just explodes into this hopeful, optimistic thing.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In that kind of disaster scenario, the crew capsule separates from the rocket to save the astronauts, and the rocket explodes into small pieces.—
Charlie Gile,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Related Stories The film shatters stereotypical visuals of space, veering away from cold and desaturated colors, and using warmer tones such as orange.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Security footage provided by Elfvin shows the robot rolling directly into the side panel of a bus shelter, which shatters and showers the robot and sidewalk around it with what appears to be glass shards.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Amid the population boom, Folsom buzzes with a new vibrancy, as its historic Gold Rush-era downtown is thriving and its surrounding lakes and trails offer plenty of outdoor recreation — and the secret’s getting out.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
As the pensive Moon wanders into your vocal 3rd house, your mind buzzes with activity.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Curry magic, Curry flurries, Curry bringing an arena to its feet.—
Sports Columnist,
San Francisco Chronicle,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The light snow flurries in the Tahoe area this week after a spell of record-setting March heatwaves across California were not enough to reverse the damage.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Authorities reinforced security around Jewish sites in the wake of explosions last month outside synagogues in Liege, Belgium, and the Dutch port city of Rotterdam and outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The special effects supervisor on a movie set is responsible for designing and executing practical, in-camera effects such as explosions, pyrotechnics, rigs, and atmospheric elements.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — huge eruptions of solar plasma — could be a threat to Artemis astronauts venturing far beyond our planet, as could cosmic rays, which originate far beyond our solar system.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And while many are extinct or dormant, two of them, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, are still capable of destructive and deadly eruptions.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Advertisement Christine Adams Courtesy of Apple TV Lang gets off the train and, once at a safe distance, detonates the explosive.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
But once in a rare while, the frame detonates into history.—
Christopher Anderson,
Vanity Fair,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But Wark smashes a ball to left field for the Aggies to retake the lead, 7-5.—
Zoe Collins Rath,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Delivery robot smashes into glass of bus shelter in Old Town on Tuesday afternoon.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bursts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bursts. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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