irruption
noun
ir·rup·tion
i-ˈrəp-shən 
plural irruptions
: an act or instance of irrupting: such as
a
: a sudden, violent, or forcible entry : a rushing or bursting in
… the assassination still feels like a primal catastrophe—an irruption of inexplicable evil as horrifying as any supernatural bogeyman.—
Ross Douthat
Ross Douthat
b
: a sudden and violent invasion
… begins not with Hitler's attack on Poland, but with the Japanese irruption into Outer Mongolia in July 1939…—John Gooch
John Gooch
c
ecology
: a sudden sharp increase in the relative numbers of a natural population usually associated with favorable alteration of the environment
The owl's appearance came during an irruption, a huge southward migration of snowy owls from their arctic territories that, this year, followed a successful breeding period.—Scott Carroll
Scott CarrollExamples of irruption in a Sentence
the irruptions of the Goths into Italy in the fifth century
Recent Examples on the Web
Orwell narrowed it down to the Edwardian era — 1901 to 1919 — long before the irruptions of two world wars and the Great Depression.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
This is the largest owl irruption in Minnesota in two decades.
—Dan Kraker, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
Danger lurks But the irruption is an end of a lifetime for some of the owls.
—Dan Kraker, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
But the irruption is an end of a lifetime for some of the owls.
—Dan Kraker, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
This is the largest owl irruption in Minnesota in two decades.
—Dan Kraker, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
What is an irruption?
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 22 Nov. 2022
An irruption is a sudden change in population density.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2023
This irruption of violence dovetailed with the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, which began as a social club in Tennessee and then quickly metastasized into a band of white supremacist terrorists.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2023
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.
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
This is the largest owl irruption in Minnesota in two decades.
—Dan Kraker, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
Danger lurks But the irruption is an end of a lifetime for some of the owls.
—Dan Kraker, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
But the irruption is an end of a lifetime for some of the owls.
—Dan Kraker, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
This is the largest owl irruption in Minnesota in two decades.
—Dan Kraker, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
What is an irruption?
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 22 Nov. 2022
An irruption is a sudden change in population density.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2023
This irruption of violence dovetailed with the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, which began as a social club in Tennessee and then quickly metastasized into a band of white supremacist terrorists.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Irruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irruption. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share