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
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Recent Examples of break out
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Gaines, a 6-3, 205-pounder, was a backup for two years at Iowa State before breaking out last season with Rhode Island, catching 65 passes for 1,018 yards and four touchdowns.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Olivia Wilde’s upcoming film The Invite released its first trailer, giving audiences a tease of the Sundance Film Festival’s biggest breakout of the year.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break out
Verb
An offense that had been starved for runs since an Opening Day outburst eight days prior finally broke out, giving McLean some run support early in the game.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Gaines, a 6-3, 205-pounder, was a backup for two years at Iowa State before breaking out last season with Rhode Island, catching 65 passes for 1,018 yards and four touchdowns.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
Over the next few weeks, Ahmed said the goal is for the people in the breakout groups to organize and create plans and ideas and quantify the needs of the community, and then bring everyone back together.
—Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Olivia Wilde’s upcoming film The Invite released its first trailer, giving audiences a tease of the Sundance Film Festival’s biggest breakout of the year.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break out
Verb
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The Guardians must protect the Legendary Silver Crystal when a battle erupts with a mysterious enemy during the Celestial Ball and plunges the Moon Palace into chaos.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
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Moore and her fiancé were taking their two young children to grab baby supplies when the gunfire erupted.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The serene setting, where only the wind whispers through the pines, makes this remote ranch perfect for an unforgettable family escape.—
Julie Bielenberg,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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For Havana residents enduring frequent blackouts and shortages, a night of rumba and salsa offers an escape.—
Natalia Favre,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hurtling back toward Earth after a historic loop around the moon, Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman said naming a crater after his late wife, an idea his crewmates came up with before launch, was the most deeply profound moment of an already memorable flight.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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With Iran qualifying for the World Cup, Arad Ershad had visions of splurging on flights and tickets to attend one of the team’s upcoming first-round matches in Los Angeles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Old Herald clippings from 1986 reported about homeowners toilets and sinks smelling like gas, a 3-year-old getting rashes and fevers from drinking the well water and fear of driers exploding.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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More advanced packaging methods took off as chip complexity exploded in the last few years with the advent of AI.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20out. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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