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

Bondele was among hundreds of Ebola response workers in Bunia who staged strikes and protests over unpaid wages in recent weeks, at times abandoning health facilities and disrupting parts of the response as the outbreak continued to spread. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

These attacks raise the threat of another outbreak of a full-scale civil war. — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, New York City has been dealing with this year’s deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side that has killed seven people. — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

The Houck Day Use Area at Cunningham Falls State Park, the adjacent boat ramp, and Big Hunting Creek upstream of the lake were closed while wildlife officials investigate a possible rabies outbreak among the local beaver population. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 6 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