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
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Recent Examples of breaking out
Sold by MoreThan Films, a buzz title at September Venice Days, now breaking out abroad.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Microsoft first started breaking out Azure revenue growth last quarter.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Raised in New York, Donnelly immersed herself in musical theater from a young age before breaking out on screen as cheerleader Addison Wells in Disney’s Zombies franchise.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
In Tel Aviv's Hostage Square, where celebrations have been breaking out after the news, Kahn spoke to Dani Miran, the father of Omri, a hostage being held in Gaza.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025
There is, to United’s dismay, a definite trend of players breaking out of Old Trafford and finding a new lease of life.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Cuban officials on Friday said that Joanne Chesimard, who was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper, has died in Havana decades after breaking out of prison and escaping to the communist island.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
The Cavaliers are breaking out navy blue throwbacks.
—Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Without breaking out of the Vulcan mode, Oswalt nicely conveys the character’s unlikely charisma.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
John Hopewell, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Microsoft first started breaking out Azure revenue growth last quarter.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Raised in New York, Donnelly immersed herself in musical theater from a young age before breaking out on screen as cheerleader Addison Wells in Disney’s Zombies franchise.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
In Tel Aviv's Hostage Square, where celebrations have been breaking out after the news, Kahn spoke to Dani Miran, the father of Omri, a hostage being held in Gaza.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025
There is, to United’s dismay, a definite trend of players breaking out of Old Trafford and finding a new lease of life.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Cuban officials on Friday said that Joanne Chesimard, who was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper, has died in Havana decades after breaking out of prison and escaping to the communist island.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 26 Sep. 2025
The Cavaliers are breaking out navy blue throwbacks.
—Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Without breaking out of the Vulcan mode, Oswalt nicely conveys the character’s unlikely charisma.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking out
Verb
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Since Assad’s ousting, Syria has seen flare-ups of deadly sectarian violence, with clashes erupting between security forces and those loyal to the former president, including in Syria’s coastal Latakia region in March.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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Moments later, the plane’s left wing reportedly caught fire and an engine detached, sending the wide-body freighter crashing to the ground and erupting into a fireball.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Down 13 in the fourth quarter of Game 3, Wade fueled an epic comeback win, exploding for 42 points and 13 rebounds, putting the team on his back.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Its schools are ranked among the best in Texas, and the job market is exploding, with jobs in information technology, finance, and healthcare on the rise.—
Amanda Ogle,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaking out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20out. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
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