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
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
For example, after the MMR vaccine was first linked to autism in England, many parents stopped vaccinating their children—and several children died during a measles outbreak in Ireland soon afterward.
—
Lauren Gelman, Parents, 21 Nov. 2025
In northern winters, the vortex often expands, pushing Arctic air southward along the jet stream, which regularly brings severe cold outbreaks to the United States.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Nov. 2025
Due to the outbreak, Florida horse owners that participated in equine events in those states are being encouraged to isolate their horses for 21 days.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
Its most gripping, least typical chapter describes an outbreak in breathlessly suspenseful detail, tracking the contagion from Alexandria, where a shipworker has a fateful encounter with a monkey’s fleas, all the way to England and, eventually, the Shakespeares’ doorstep.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
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Lauren Gelman, Parents, 21 Nov. 2025
In northern winters, the vortex often expands, pushing Arctic air southward along the jet stream, which regularly brings severe cold outbreaks to the United States.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Nov. 2025
Due to the outbreak, Florida horse owners that participated in equine events in those states are being encouraged to isolate their horses for 21 days.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
Its most gripping, least typical chapter describes an outbreak in breathlessly suspenseful detail, tracking the contagion from Alexandria, where a shipworker has a fateful encounter with a monkey’s fleas, all the way to England and, eventually, the Shakespeares’ doorstep.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outbreak. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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