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
Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Marwa Yazbek is from Dihariya, a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, which was ground zero for Israeli strikes when the war broke out.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
One of the breakout players thus far is 19-year-old Porter Martone, who made history in the Flyers' Game 2 win.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break out
Verb
Tonight, the Flyers look to break out the brooms and sweep the Pens out of the NHL playoffs in Game 4 of their first-round series.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Marwa Yazbek is from Dihariya, a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, which was ground zero for Israeli strikes when the war broke out.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
An exceptional run defender, McNeil-Warren had 12 pass breakouts and five interceptions over the past three seasons and in 2025 was named a third-team Associated Press All-American.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
One of the breakout players thus far is 19-year-old Porter Martone, who made history in the Flyers' Game 2 win.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break out
Verb
-
Crews made fast work of a 10-acre fire that erupted in brush in the vicinity of the SoCal Sports complex and Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, briefly prompting an order that people in the area shelter in place Friday.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
One of the defendant’s friends had a conversation with Velasquez that erupted into a brawl before the defendant charged at the victim and opened fire, the prosecutor said.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For years, Asheville, North Carolina, marketed itself as a mountain escape known for breweries, boutique hotels and Blue Ridge views.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This time, though, the prison is on a space station, making his attempt at escape even trickier than before.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Instead of going near the moon, the mission will serve as a test flight in which a new crew of astronauts aboard an Orion capsule will dock in Earth orbit with at least one of the commercial lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Getting there Reaching Culebra requires a ferry, small flight, or private sailing charter from mainland Puerto Rico.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Walks have exploded under new ABS system With the introduction of challenges, MLB had to essentially redefine the strike zone to ensure that the tracking system would consistently and accurately measure what actually is a strike or ball.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Freedom from nonstop sound effects Some ballparks are worse than others, but the trend of teams that pump up the volume and inject sound effects between pitches, similar to an NBA game, is exploding.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20out. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
