1
as in flurries
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
there was an immediate outbreak of paper shuffling and a pretense of work when the supervisor passed through the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in insurrections
open fighting against authority (as one's own government)
the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outbreaks
Recurring outbreaks were common in places where sanitation was poor, historians confirm.
—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
While norovirus is frequently associated with cruise ships, those instances account for just 1% of all outbreaks reported.
—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
Most norovirus outbreaks occur when people who are already infected spread the virus to others by direct means, such as through sharing food or utensils.
—
ABC News,
2 July 2026
The vaccination data, which was released by the state health department this week, comes after one of the state’s worst measles outbreaks in recent history.
—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 July 2026
Although outbreaks remain relatively rare, both viruses can cause severe pneumonia and encephalitis, placing them among the World Health Organization's highest-priority emerging pathogens.
—
William A. Haseltine,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
That monitoring period was set because symptoms of hantavirus have taken as long as 42 days to appear in previous outbreaks.
—
Josh Funk,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Some outbreaks still cropped up in the US after that – the largest in 1972, when Texas alone had 90,000 cases – but experts say the effort was beyond successful.
—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Canada lost its status last year after ongoing outbreaks.
—
Devi Shastri,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
While norovirus is frequently associated with cruise ships, those instances account for just 1% of all outbreaks reported.
—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
Most norovirus outbreaks occur when people who are already infected spread the virus to others by direct means, such as through sharing food or utensils.
—
ABC News,
2 July 2026
The vaccination data, which was released by the state health department this week, comes after one of the state’s worst measles outbreaks in recent history.
—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 July 2026
Although outbreaks remain relatively rare, both viruses can cause severe pneumonia and encephalitis, placing them among the World Health Organization's highest-priority emerging pathogens.
—
William A. Haseltine,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
That monitoring period was set because symptoms of hantavirus have taken as long as 42 days to appear in previous outbreaks.
—
Josh Funk,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Some outbreaks still cropped up in the US after that – the largest in 1972, when Texas alone had 90,000 cases – but experts say the effort was beyond successful.
—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Canada lost its status last year after ongoing outbreaks.
—
Devi Shastri,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreaks
Noun
-
There is even a remote possibility for a few flurries in the highest peaks of the Sierra on Saturday and Sunday nights with temps briefly below freezing.
-
Even then, there are flurries of intense activity.
Noun
-
There were rebellions, insurrections and an Appian Way lined with crucifixions.
-
But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.
Noun
-
From Friday to Sunday, singers and alphorn players filled the streets and spontaneous bursts of yodeling echoed through restaurants, where diners initially reacted with surprise before joining in.
-
San Francisco real estate agent Butch Haze of Compass has seen tech booms followed by ravenous bursts of homebuying since the first internet gold rush of the late 1990s.
Noun
-
Starmer also has angered supporters with attempts to cut welfare spending, some of which were reversed after Labour revolts.
-
Then came revolts and revolutions in Ireland, the Swiss cantons, the Rhineland, the Netherlands, the Italian states, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Noun
-
Public outbursts remain relatively uncommon, making this week's intervention particularly revealing.
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There have been intermittent outbursts of violence against immigrants since then.
Noun
-
Secessionist uprisings in the provinces like Tatarstan or Bashkortistan or Chechnya.
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In the late sixteenth century, the Spanish Hapsburgs, the Catholic dynasty that ruled the Netherlands, sent in an army to crush a series of Calvinist uprisings.
Noun
-
Most Southern states soon followed with anti-literacy laws of their own between 1740 and 1834, in the hopes of preventing any further slave rebellions.
-
Rhaenyra is suddenly dealing with internal criticism, possible rebellions, subjects spray-painting nasty stuff on the walls and self-doubt.
Noun
-
That mobility occasionally allowed for communication and coordination during mutinies.
-
This includes leader assassination attempts by political opponents or lone wolves or mutinies by disgruntled soldiers who might even march on the presidential palace to demand higher pay, promotions or other policy concessions.
Cite this Entry
“Outbreaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreaks. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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