Thesaurus results for BREAKING OUT

breaking out

verb

present participle of break out

as in erupting

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

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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 breaking out Another warehouse belonging to the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries was also attacked to the east of Moscow, Vorobyov said, with a fire breaking out at the facility. — David Brennan, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 Elevated energy prices in the wake of the Middle East conflict breaking out months ago have raised concerns about inflationary pressures, though the latest batch of mild inflation data has offered some reassurance to investors. — Sean Conlon,hugh Leask, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026 After celebrating, a video posted by BBC Sport showed the Belgian squad huddling together to bask in their victory, before breaking out into dance. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026 Frustration is boiling over, and fights are breaking out between people struggling to buy rationed supplies of gasoline. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 June 2026 Born in 1958 in working-class New Cross, South London, Oldman came up through British theater before breaking out in the 1980s playing dangerous, damaged men, from Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy to playwright Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026 Raleigh snapped the longest hitless streak in the major leagues during the team’s 10-2 win over the Astors on Tuesday, breaking out of an 0-38 slump with a pair of singles. — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026 Rookies were instructed through stretches and warmups before breaking out into positional drills during the media-viewing portion of rookie minicamp. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026 Height turned 25 two weeks ago after playing six seasons at four schools, finally breaking out with the Red Raiders in 2025. — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking out

Verb

That’s much better than analysts expected and would be the best since five years ago, when the economy was erupting out of the chasm created by the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

— Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Brian Osorio Zuluaga/Facebook The five men in the video slowly remove the baby then shout for a paramedic before erupting in a euphoric cheer.

— Duarte Dias, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of erupting

Verb

Those reforms led to huge reduction in poverty, an exploding middle class and a scramble by foreign companies to access the lucrative Chinese market.

— CNN Staff, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
The Tremont fire comes just days after an exploding Tesla in Seattle sent two firefighters to the hospital.

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026