as in to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently
in the wake of news reports of deaths from the flu, panic broke out, and there was a mad rush for flu shots
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as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
the captives had been planning to stage a breakout at the next change in shift for the guards
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of break out
Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 30 Oct. 2025
Protests broke out in commercial capital Dar es Salaam and other cities during the vote on Wednesday over the exclusion of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s two biggest challengers from the presidential race, as well as what demonstrators say is increasing government repression.
—Reuters 10 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Returning for their festival’s 32nd edition from February 19-25, 2026, the bold voices behind Slamdance continue to tell a cutting-edge story by honoring breakout talents who could redefine the film and TV business, too.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break out
Verb
No parents want to inflict emotional harm on their children, which is why most people strenuously avoid even getting snippy with their parents in front of the kids—and the guilt when an argument does break out can be immense.
—Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 30 Oct. 2025
Protests broke out in commercial capital Dar es Salaam and other cities during the vote on Wednesday over the exclusion of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s two biggest challengers from the presidential race, as well as what demonstrators say is increasing government repression.
—Reuters 10 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
Hailing from writer-director Niki Byrne, The Julia Set has One Battle After Another breakout Infiniti playing Julia, a talented mathematician in a fiercely competitive academic environment.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Returning for their festival’s 32nd edition from February 19-25, 2026, the bold voices behind Slamdance continue to tell a cutting-edge story by honoring breakout talents who could redefine the film and TV business, too.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break out
Verb
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This gas then erupts from the shell of the comet, casting off solid dust and growing the halo around a comet, the coma, and its characteristic cometary tail.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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As the lights came up, the Fort Worth theater erupted with applause as the duo’s name flashed across the credits.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Their 109-108 escape against the Philadelphia 76ers provided compelling theater, just not to all of the Celtics players.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
1 Nov. 2025
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Smoke detectors inside the devices sense smoke, which triggers the alarm warning, and its chime can add life-saving minutes to an escape.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
1 Nov. 2025
Verb
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By Fortune’s estimates, drawn from industry data, the value of all direct deals, using the broad definition of single investments in private companies, will explode to something like $200 billion this year, multiple the number several years ago.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
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Jacques Torres Classic Hot Chocolate Bombs These decadent hot chocolate bombs from master chocolatier Jacques Torres are exploding with flavor.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Scott Parker’s team possess all of the qualities that Vincent Kompany’s side lacked — a solid defensive foundation, togetherness, fighting spirit, and valuable top-flight experience led by example from defender Kyle Walker and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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Earlier in the evening, the FAA said the airport would be unable to land arriving flights for a period because no certified air traffic controllers were available at the hub.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20out. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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