Synonyms of break out

break out 1 of 2

verb

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

• erupt
• burst (forth)
• explode
• flare (up)
• blaze (up)
• flame
• swell
• mount
• rocket
• skyrocket
• touch off
• proliferate
• multiply
• wax
• detonate
• mushroom
• snowball
• blow up
• balloon
• burgeon

breakout

2 of 2

noun

ˈbrāk-ˌau̇t 

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

• escape
• flight
• break
• rout
• getaway
• bunk
• rescue
• slip
• liberation
• lam
• redemption
• release
• salvation
• deliverance
• jailbreak
• close call
• close shave
• near miss

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• confinement
• imprisonment
• incarceration
• captivity
• retention
• holding
• custody
• risk
• detention
• trouble
• hold
• internment
• hazard
• jeopardy
• immurement
• peril
• imperilment
• endangerment

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of break out

Verb

The news comes mere days after rival OpenAI revealed that an autonomous AI agent had broken out of its sandbox to engage in a multi-day intrusion of the AI community platform Hugging Face. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Jeremy Latcham, who executive produced the early Avengers movies for Marvel before breaking out on his own in 2017, is producing the project. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026

Noun

A-list actors like Zendaya and Anne Hathaway may line the cast list, but the breakout performance is coming from the large-scale, analog viewing experience beloved by Nolan and his fans. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 July 2026

The division is littered with elite fantasy picks, ascending superstars, and exciting breakout candidates worth knowing. — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026