as in to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently
in the wake of news reports of deaths from the flu, panic broke out, and there was a mad rush for flu shots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
the captives had been planning to stage a breakout at the next change in shift for the guards
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 break out
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2025
As the two began wrestling on the ground, Vrabel dove into the pile, seemingly to separate the players and prevent a full-scale fight from breaking out.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
James Boyd, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2025
The breakout campaign catapulted the former University of North Carolina standout to No. 6 in the Comcast Business Tour Top 10, netting him a $3.4 million performance bonus heading into the 2025 FedExCup Playoffs, which tee off Thursday at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break out
Verb
Shah broke out as Miles in Benito Skinner’s Overcompensating for Prime Video.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2025
As the two began wrestling on the ground, Vrabel dove into the pile, seemingly to separate the players and prevent a full-scale fight from breaking out.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
Noun
Mitchell was arguably the Colts’ best offensive player Tuesday, as his breakout training camp continues.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2025
The breakout campaign catapulted the former University of North Carolina standout to No. 6 in the Comcast Business Tour Top 10, netting him a $3.4 million performance bonus heading into the 2025 FedExCup Playoffs, which tee off Thursday at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break out
Verb
-
Although the bit, which was filled with a series of absurd interpretative dances, made the audience erupt with laughter, the actress was genuinely touched by the honor.—
Vivian Kwarm,
New York Daily News,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Martin has been trying to put out fires in the Democratic civil war that erupted over Mamdani’s shock victory on June 24.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Few warm-weather escapes are complete without plenty of pool time–and the resort’s Baia delle Palme pool, an expansive aquatic zone, raises the bar for splish-splashy fun in the sun.—
Alexandra Kirkman,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
What begins as a brief detour spirals into a surreal escape where time, desire, and reality begin to unravel.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Charles Nelson had just gotten out the door on his way to a concert in Millennium Park Monday afternoon when gunfire exploded up his South Side block.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Aug. 2025
-
Yolo County top health official declared Monday a local health emergency to assess if hazardous material spread across soil, water and crops bordering an Esparto warehouse filled with fireworks that exploded in July and killed seven people.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The flight turned out to be one of my bumpiest, and therefore most unpleasant, in recent memory.—
Elaine Godfrey,
The Atlantic,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Eichorn, who has also flown over the North Pole, advised Maeda on his 2021 round-the-world flight.—
Pete Muntean,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20out. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share