outbreak

noun

out·​break ˈau̇t-ˌbrāk 

1

a

: a sudden or violent increase in activity or currency

the outbreak of war

b

: a sudden rise in the incidence of a disease

an outbreak of measles

c

: a sudden increase in numbers of a harmful organism and especially an insect within a particular area

an outbreak of locusts

2

: insurrection, revolt

Synonyms of outbreak

• flurry
• burst
• outburst

Examples of outbreak in a Sentence

there was an immediate outbreak of paper shuffling and a pretense of work when the supervisor passed through the room

the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency

Recent Examples on the Web

As illustrated in this chart, following the outbreak of the Middle East conflict in late February, both WTI crude oil prices and US retail gas prices surged in tandem. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

In mid-July, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s national public health institute, noted that there had been an outbreak of malaria cases among employees at the airport, with multiple individuals falling ill between July 4 and July 6. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

There is currently an outbreak in the Santa Cruz and Cochabamba departments. — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026

Before this summer’s massive outbreak, the country had never recorded more than a few hundred infections in a single year from this parasite, which can cause watery and at times explosive diarrhea. — Dylan Scott, Vox, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for outbreak

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• earthquake
• forsake
• gouache
• handshake
• headache

Kids Definition

outbreak

noun

out·​break ˈau̇t-ˌbrāk 

1

: a sudden increase in activity, use, or acceptance

the outbreak of war

2

: something (as an epidemic or revolution) that breaks out

an outbreak of measles

Medical Definition

outbreak

noun

out·​break ˈau̇t-ˌbrāk 

1

: a sudden rise in the incidence of a disease

an outbreak of measles

2

: a sudden increase in numbers of a harmful organism and especially an insect within a particular area

an outbreak of locusts