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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break out
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Instead, Cherry arrived at the house, found Daniel drugged and tried to escape with him, but a fight instead broke out with Laura.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2025
This is an unfortunate end to Kancey's third season in the NFL, which was profiled to be a potential breakout year for him.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break out
Verb
One person has died after a fire broke out in a Cutler Bay home early Friday morning, officials say.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Instead, Cherry arrived at the house, found Daniel drugged and tried to escape with him, but a fight instead broke out with Laura.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
Understanding when and how to wash your face can help reduce breakouts and support overall skin health.
—Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2025
This is an unfortunate end to Kancey's third season in the NFL, which was profiled to be a potential breakout year for him.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break out
Verb
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This question comes after social media erupted with a wide range of reactions to Kirk’s assassination.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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That moment of silence itself soon erupted into House strife, with shouting on the floor.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Trapped with no chance of rescue, Jessie starts to lose her mind—eventually finding an escape.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Mark Hetfield, president of the refugee resettlement group HIAS, defended the existing global agreements as ensuring people would never be subject to persecution without an escape route.—
Ted Hesson,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Microwave ovens, which came along much later, enjoyed more widespread ownership and usage, both above 90%, in spite of urban legends about how microwaves will explode your pets and lower sperm counts.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Previous estimates have suggested that the largest possible black holes would take longer than the hypothesized lifetime of the universe to explode.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But between private-jet flights to Spain and shopping sprees on Rodeo Drive, these women still deal with problems that affect millions of women worldwide.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Data from flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed that the Spirit plane came no closer than eight miles laterally to Air Force One, which remained at 32,000 feet — just 1,000 feet below Spirit Flight 1300.—
Heather Hunter,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20out. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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