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

The full scope of the outbreak — in the state and in the country — isn’t known or even knowable. — STAT, 2 Oct. 2026

Indonesia is also seeing significant wildfire outbreaks, with this fire season currently on track to rival the worst on record there, which occurred during a previous super El Niño in 2015 to 2016. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

The latest clashes mark the biggest outbreak of violence since the 2020-2022 conflict in the northern region that led to hundreds of thousands of deaths. — Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

The current outbreak is on track to exceed the deadliest on record, West Africa’s regional outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which killed 11,000 people, WHO has said. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 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