breakout

noun

break·out | \ˈbrāk-ˌau̇t

Definition of breakout

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a violent or forceful break from a restraining condition or situation especially : a military attack to break from encirclement

2 : an eruption or inflammation of the skin Because stress can throw your hormones out of balance, it can make normal sebaceous glands produce oil at an increased rate, causing breakouts.— Harper's Bazaar

breakout

adjective

Definition of breakout (Entry 2 of 3)

: being or relating to a sudden or smashing success especially in comparison to previous efforts a breakout book

break out

verb

Definition of break out (Entry 3 of 3)

intransitive verb

1 : to develop or emerge with suddenness or force fire broke out a riot broke out

2a : to become covered break out in a sweat

b : to become affected with an eruption or inflammation of the skin break out in hives his face broke out with acne

3 : to make a break from a restraining condition or situation broke out of a slump broke out of jail

transitive verb

1a : to make ready for action or use break out the tents and make camp

b : to produce for consumption break out a bottle of champagne

2 : to display flying and unfurled

3 : to separate from a mass of data break out newsstand sales

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about breakout

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Examples of breakout in a Sentence

Noun

the captives had been planning to stage a breakout at the next change in shift for the guards

Adjective

The company had a breakout year last year, tripling its profits from the previous year.

Verb

in the wake of news reports of deaths from the flu, panic broke out, and there was a mad rush for flu shots

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

True Keeping Up with the Kardashians stans will know that the show has a breakout star: Todd Kraines. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "Kylie Jenner Is Releasing a Todd Kraines Lip Kit for Old-School KUWTK Fans," 9 Nov. 2018 O’Rourke, who was the early progressive breakout star, has a tougher climb to victory. — Laura Mcgann, Vox, "Gillum 2020?," 7 Nov. 2018 The five-season series has a definitive ending for central antihero Walter White, played by breakout star Bryan Cranston, but that hasn’t prevented additional storytelling within its universe. — Megan Farokhmanesh, The Verge, "Vince Gilligan is writing a Breaking Bad sequel film starring Aaron Paul," 7 Nov. 2018 Now, that show is returning to television on CNBC, and its host, Howie Mandel, is speaking out about the show’s breakout star. — Megan Friedman, Harper's BAZAAR, "Howie Mandel Jokes Meghan Markle Was "Slightly Duchessy" on Deal or No Deal," 10 Aug. 2018 Even after five seasons of Southern Charm, viewers are still enthralled by the show's matriarch—and unlikely breakout star—Patricia Altschul. — Luzanne Otte, Town & Country, "A Day in the Life of Southern Charm's Patricia Altschul," 12 July 2018 Mbappé Mania French forward Kylian Mbappé, 19, is the breakout star of this World Cup. — Sean Gregory, Time, "32 Teams Entered, 2 Remain. Your Ultimate Guide to the World Cup Final," 13 July 2018 Kylian Mbappe was a breakout performer in France's win over Argentina in the Round of 16, and Uruguay's defense — led by Diego Godin — will be tasked with keeping the dynamic playmaker in check. — USA TODAY, "FIFA World Cup: Quarterfinal schedule, TV time and storylines for Friday, July 6," 5 July 2018 Pulisic could have been a breakout star at this summer's World Cup if the United States hadn't crashed out of qualifying last October with a shocking loss to last-place Trinidad and Tobago. — Jamie Goldberg, OregonLive.com, "As World Cup takes center stage, US Soccer must put failure aside and find a path forward," 11 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

American Ashley Wagner was a surprise omission from the U.S. figure skating roster after Tennell's breakout performances in Skate America and the national championships. — Anchorage Daily News, "Everything you need to know about the Winter Olympics," 8 Feb. 2018 American Ashley Wagner was a surprise omission from the U.S. figure skating roster after Tennell's breakout performances in Skate America and the national championships. — The Washington Post, chicagotribune.com, "Everything you need to know about the Winter Olympics," 7 Feb. 2018 Sparring Partner Next year's breakout Victoria's Secret supermodel, who has a mean right cross. — Benjy Hansen-bundy, GQ, "How To Be Better Than Everyone Else In 2018," 7 Feb. 2018 The evening featured a panel presentation and interactive breakout discussion groups aimed to empower singles to share their common experiences and ideas for proactive solutions. — Sergio Carmona, Jewish Journal, "South Beach soiree attracts Jewish singles looking for love," 7 Feb. 2018 Johnson said via email, before her breakout weekend. — Chadd Cripe, idahostatesman, "U.S. Olympians with ties to Idaho include skier, snowboarders | Idaho Statesman," 6 Feb. 2018 Bartosz Kapustka, a player hyped for his breakout performances for Poland at Euro 2016, failed to play a single Premier League game last season and was loaned to Freiburg for 2017-18. — SI.com, "Extent of Leicester's Poor 2016 Recruitment Made Clear After Last Signings Leave Club," 2 Feb. 2018 Similarly, Haddish’s spirited turn in Girls Trip was one of the breakout performances of 2017. — Eliza Berman, Time, "The Biggest Snubs and Surprises of the 2018 Oscar Nominations," 23 Jan. 2018 Camila Mendes is best known for her breakout performance as pithy former mean girl Veronica Lodge on The CW's Riverdale. — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Riverdale's Camila Mendes Impersonates the Internet," 18 Jan. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Royal attendees break out their most stunning tiaras and ballgowns for the private occasion, but this year, no one looked more majestic than the sovereign herself. — Kayleigh Roberts, Harper's BAZAAR, "Queen Elizabeth II Looks More Regal Than Ever at the Annual Diplomatic Reception," 4 Dec. 2018 From this Xmas to whenever your friends are feeling blue, break out a bottle and get happy. — Sally Singer, Vogue, "10 Holiday Gifts That Dazzle, Then Largely Disappear," 29 Nov. 2018 So far, only a war of words has broken out, with each side blaming the other for what happened. — Alex Ward, Vox, "Russia just openly attacked Ukraine. That could mean their war will get worse.," 26 Nov. 2018 Today a partisan war broke out over what a video of that incident really showed — and in so doing, seemed to herald the arrival of an era in which manipulated videos further erode the boundaries between truth and fiction. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "The fake video era of US politics has arrived on Twitter," 9 Nov. 2018 Then, three to five days after the first symptoms, the infection's signature rash breaks out and the fever shoots up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, the CDC says. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Passengers on 4 Southwest Flights Possibly Exposed to Measles," 11 Sep. 2018 The first skirmish of fall camp broke out during Monday’s session. — Theo Lawson, The Seattle Times, "WSU football camp | Cougars’ quarterback battle down to three men? Not quite yet.," 7 Aug. 2018 Shooting broke out during negotiations, leaving the 17 dead. — Fox News, "Paraguay calls in UK envoy over tweet on freed peasants," 30 July 2018 Since Monday morning, a total of 47 fires have broken out in the area surrounding Athens, including in the cities of Rafina and Kineta, located 15 miles east and 30 miles west of Athens respectively. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "In Greece, Drought-Fueled Wildfires Kill Dozens," 24 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'breakout.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near breakout

break one's/someone's fall

Statistics for breakout

Last Updated

20 Nov 2018

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Time Traveler for breakout

The first known use of breakout was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for breakout

breakout

noun

English Language Learners Definition of breakout

(Entry 1 of 2)

: an escape from a prison, jail, etc.

breakout

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of breakout (Entry 2 of 2)

: having, causing, or marked by sudden and great success that comes usually after a time without much success

breakout

noun

break·out | \ˈbrā-ˌkau̇t

Medical Definition of breakout

(Entry 1 of 2)

: an eruption or inflammation of the skin This is especially true for those who have acne and are desperate to stop breakouts without taking prescription antibiotics …— Stacie Stukin, The Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2007 Because stress can throw your hormones out of balance, it can make normal sebaceous glands produce oil at an increased rate, causing breakouts. — Harper's Bazaar, May 1981