1
as in bursts
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the judge directed the courtroom spectators to refrain from any outbursts when the verdict was read
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in flurries
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
there was a remarkable outburst of work in the office as the visiting VIPs made their tour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in eruptions
the act or an instance of exploding
in the outburst known as a supernova, the star may reach an intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outbursts
For his courtroom outbursts, Davis found Thompson in contempt of court and added a little more than four and a half years to his sentence.
—
Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
An audience member was removed at one point for outbursts during remarks by commissioner Carrie Prejean, who rejected notions that anti-Zionism equates to antisemitism.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Ye’s recent outbursts coincide with a rise in antisemitism across the US; the Anti-Defamation League has reported a 344 percent rise in attacks against Jewish people between 2019 and 2024.
—Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
Cristian Romero’s outbursts about the running of Tottenham Hotspur are becoming problematically regular.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2026
The dramatic close-up image below captures the immense sunspot region responsible for this week's outbursts.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Americans have been roped even further into this dark, tragic story because of the president’s bizarre equivocation and emotional outbursts about it.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
Leatham, a biological male who identifies as a woman, is prone to loud outbursts that disrupt court proceedings and routinely launches into tirades accusing government attorneys of transphobia.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 29 Jan. 2026
This doesn’t mean enraged outbursts or accusatory monologues.
—Molly Burrets, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
An audience member was removed at one point for outbursts during remarks by commissioner Carrie Prejean, who rejected notions that anti-Zionism equates to antisemitism.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Ye’s recent outbursts coincide with a rise in antisemitism across the US; the Anti-Defamation League has reported a 344 percent rise in attacks against Jewish people between 2019 and 2024.
—Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
Cristian Romero’s outbursts about the running of Tottenham Hotspur are becoming problematically regular.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2026
The dramatic close-up image below captures the immense sunspot region responsible for this week's outbursts.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Americans have been roped even further into this dark, tragic story because of the president’s bizarre equivocation and emotional outbursts about it.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
Leatham, a biological male who identifies as a woman, is prone to loud outbursts that disrupt court proceedings and routinely launches into tirades accusing government attorneys of transphobia.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 29 Jan. 2026
This doesn’t mean enraged outbursts or accusatory monologues.
—Molly Burrets, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbursts
Noun
-
Also, some bursts showed strong circular polarization, a signal characteristic of magnetic processes.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Hulu has steadily built a library of bold, thought-provoking miniseries that have managed to entertain audiences in short bursts.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Worst case scenario is that Baltimore metro receives a few flurries with up to a trace of snow.—
Steven Sosna,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Snow flurries in Jacksonville Why is Groundhog Day celebrated?—
Doris Alvarez Cea,
Florida Times-Union,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Solar flares are large eruptions of electromagnetic radiation from the sun, which could last from minutes to hours, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Kilauea’s eruptions are Pele’s movements.—
Tommy Orange,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Ukrainian officials said powerful explosions and secondary detonations were recorded at the site, while the extent of damage was still being assessed.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But these explosions do not trigger a nuclear chain reaction.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Measles was eliminated in the United States by 2000 but has resurfaced in periodic outbreaks, mostly among people who are not vaccinated.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The outbreaks have mostly affected children and have come as infectious disease experts warn that rising public distrust of vaccines generally may be contributing to the spread of a disease once declared eradicated by public health officials.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Buoyed by last weekend’s second-half performance in their 2-2 draw with Manchester City, Spurs showed flashes of promise before their leader was sent off.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Blurry images of body-camera footage from the encounter, shared by the DA, show muzzle flashes and the suspect holding something in his hand noted to be a gun.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Payments came in fits and spurts, according to districts surveyed by library directors in Hillside and Mount Prospect.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The Knicks used Alvarado in a variety of ways, most notably in spurts as a primary defender on Boston’s two-pronged scoring attack of All-Star starter Jaylen Brown and sixth man Payton Pritchard.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.—
Cheryl Vari,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outbursts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbursts. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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