Definition of outbreaknext
1
as in flurry
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

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2
as in revolt
open fighting against authority (as one's own government) the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency

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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 outbreak In the Kent outbreak, thousands of doses of preventive antibiotic doses have been distributed to those at highest risk, including individuals linked to the nightclub exposure. Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026 The outbreak of war in the Middle East has cast an unexpected pall over a broker community that was anticipating a bountiful sales year in 2026. David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2026 Those figures declined significantly during the COVID-19 outbreak, and ridership still has not recovered to pre-COVID levels. Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026 Cases have since been identified among students at four schools in Kent, as well as one student at a higher education institution in London, who is directly linked to the outbreak, according to the agency. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
  • The revelations immediately prompted a flurry of action across San Diego County and the state.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
  • The company unveiled a flurry of new products at the expo on Monday and gave investors a financial update on Tuesday morning.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Jacir’s absorbing film takes place during the 1936–39 Arab revolt, which was a response to British rule and the colonial authority’s partnership with newly arriving Jewish refugees from Europe.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Amidst an anti-colonial revolt, and with Jewish refugees fleeing persecution from Europe, all sides converge in a decisive moment for the entire region.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • For a burst of contrasting sweetness, toss in some pomegranate seeds along with a drizzle of hot honey and a tuft of fresh mint too.
    Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Booker led the Longhorns out of the break with the third-quarter burst that quickly settled the outcome.
    Jim Vertuno, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The film presents boosting as an act of insurrection from the street up.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
  • There was also a plan to encourage an insurrection in early 2023.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In the most complimentary of ways, the Hornets’ first-half outburst wasn’t all that special at all.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Cronin has received his share – more than his share, actually – of negative fan reaction for his frequent outbursts at players.
    Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Müntzer’s teachings helped provoke the widespread uprising of the German peasants in 1525, and have served as a kind of progenitor inspiration for later communist thinkers, from Friedrich Engels to Ernst Bloch.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Herzen’s arrest was part of a sweeping crackdown on intellectual circles following the Decembrist uprising, as the tsarist regime sought to quell dissent.
    Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The ur-mutiny, encompassing some of these, provoking and provoked by others, is MAGA.
    George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
  • That mobility occasionally allowed for communication and coordination during mutinies.
    Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Resistance, rebellion and retribution all come out to play in one of Disney+’s most consistent series that’s unafraid to put its larger-than-life characters into the maw of Venus fly trap-like set of moral and ethical issues.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • In the era of AI, the notion of learning something for yourself is a quiet, internal act of rebellion against a world that seems to be flowing in the wrong direction.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of outbreak for Spanish Speakers

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