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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in revolt
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 outbreak
Research there includes work on improving infant formula safety, food contamination from packaging, pathogen prevention in food manufacturing and produce, investigating the causes of illness outbreaks, and Grade A milk validation.
—
Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
Zweig recounts that, during the first spring of COVID, the Y.M.C.A. ran more than a thousand child-care sites for essential workers, serving about forty thousand kids, resulting in no known clusters or outbreaks.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2025
In the border regions of South Sudan and Ethiopia, there's a rampant cholera outbreak amid escalating violence.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
The illness is often associated with cruises, but those represent just 1% of all outbreaks reported.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
Zweig recounts that, during the first spring of COVID, the Y.M.C.A. ran more than a thousand child-care sites for essential workers, serving about forty thousand kids, resulting in no known clusters or outbreaks.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2025
In the border regions of South Sudan and Ethiopia, there's a rampant cholera outbreak amid escalating violence.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
The illness is often associated with cruises, but those represent just 1% of all outbreaks reported.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
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But the Magic were playing their best all-around game of the series up until the flurry of fouls by Banchero.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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After Tampa Bay went up 2-1 with 7:28 left in the second period, Florida managed just four shots on goal the rest of the second period and then only got two shots to the net in the first 15 minutes of the third before getting a flurry of attempts to goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy down the stretch.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This historic protest inaugurated a summer of 300 to 500 barricades across France, establishing the tractor blockade as a symbol of agricultural revolt.—
Made by History,
Time,
25 Apr. 2025
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However, the worse the prison’s conditions become — as the workers are forced to slave away on secret Death Star parts with no promise of release — the more Kino is pushed to join Cassian and his brewing prisoner revolt.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Whimsical, preppy, and versatile, these hues add a burst of freshness into any space, designers say.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 May 2025
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April 2025 The Star: The cards suggest April will bring a refreshing burst of hope and clarity for you, Aries, as The Star invites you to reconnect with your dreams and aspirations.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 May 2025
Noun
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Users have convened on 4chan to plan hacks like DDoS attacks, and conspiracy theories that festered on 4chan even reportedly inspired the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol.—
Matt Burgess,
Wired News,
15 Apr. 2025
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With military support from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain’s Sunni dictator Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa survived a Shiite insurrection.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Nothing but quick and shocking outbursts of violence can pierce the movie’s surfaces of overheated restraint.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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But Al-Sheikh has also drawn attention for a succession of public outbursts, many over issues that appear petty.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The historic exchange, centered on the 1971 Attica prison uprising, is now featured in the first episode of MSNBC’s new docuseries David Frost Vs. In a chilling twist, Lennon’s assassin would later be incarcerated at Attica for more than 30 years following the musician’s 1980 murder.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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When peasant rebellions appeared, they were crushed even in superficially democratic countries such as India, whose government violently suppressed the Naxalite uprisings in West Bengal.—
Nikil Saval,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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It has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America's Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2025
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Which brings me back to the confusion and the mutiny.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
2 Feb. 2025
Noun
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For the dandy, fashion was a vehicle for both self-expression and a subtle form of rebellion against societal norms.—
Ty Gaskins,
Vogue,
29 Apr. 2025
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Read more Original 'Star Wars' Screening For First Time in 47 Years Every Major Announcement at Star Wars Celebration 'Andor' Star Diego Luna Was Almost Arrested For Carrying Star Wars Blaster How Did Andor's Season 1 End? Season 1 ended with a surge of rebellion.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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