1
as in flurry
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity there was an immediate outbreak of paper shuffling and a pretense of work when the supervisor passed through the room

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2
as in revolt
open fighting against authority (as one's own government) the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of outbreak What To Know The cooling towers that sparked the outbreak have now been fully drained, cleaned and disinfected, health officials said. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025 The measles outbreak in Texas has officially ended. Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2025 The mass casualty, that happens constantly; the measles outbreak was inevitable. Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025 The West Texas measles outbreak is officially over, the Department of State Health Services announced Monday. Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
  • That looks like one of the best bargains from last December’s flurry of activities — made even more so by the injuries to Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon.
    Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Severe thunderstorms could bring strong wind gusts, flooding and possible tornadoes to southeastern Wisconsin, according to a flurry of alerts put out by the National Weather Service Aug. 16.
    David Clarey, jsonline.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Still, the Jews chafed under Roman rule and finally rebelled in 66 CE, a revolt which invited the wrath of the Roman legions led by future emperors Vespasian and his son Titus.
    Jacob Jones, JSTOR Daily, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Five days later, after a revolt, he was reinstated.
    Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Jefferson relies on his burst and explosiveness to dominate opposing defensive backs.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025
  • The latest report came as consumers await a possible burst of inflation as President Donald Trump's tariffs take hold.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • On his first day back in office, Trump pardoned every person charged or convicted for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection — the last time his supporters decided to fight for the right of the country.
    Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
  • This coup marked the only successful insurrection in American history and was fueled by the goal of reasserting white political and economic dominance. Ocoee, Florida (1920): Black residents who attempted to vote were met with mob violence.
    Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Glacial outburst floods have killed more than 12,000 people worldwide, according to estimates in the journal Global and Planetary Change.
    Evan Bush, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2025
  • This was no isolated outburst, but part of a broader effort to delegitimize conservative participation in academic life.
    Ilya Shapiro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The federal government quelled the uprising in September.
    DAILY BRIEFING, AZCentral.com, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Just when things go south, Fester’s powers cause a blackout, triggering an outcast uprising that allows Wednesday and her uncle to flee.
    Jane LaCroix, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Vance is fresh off a stay in the English countryside, where the staff of popular pub The Bull in Charlbury allegedly threatened a mutiny if they were forced to serve the staunch conservative.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2025
  • In the summer of 2023, the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin mounted a small mutiny, dispatching a convoy of tanks toward Moscow before striking a deal with Putin and, two months later, dying in a plane crash that was almost certainly orchestrated by the Kremlin.
    MICHAEL KIMMAGE, Foreign Affairs, 16 July 2025
Noun
  • In a world that equates stress with productivity, peace becomes a form of rebellion—and power.
    Jonathan Low, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Call it nostalgia or a rebellion against the clean functionality of minimalism, but romantic, decorative textiles are having a moment.
    Hannah Coates, Vogue, 13 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

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