breaks out

Definition of breaks outnext
present tense third-person singular of break out
as in erupts
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 breaks out At times, yes, when a football match breaks out between all of those stoppages. Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Continue reading … POLITICS SENATE SHOWDOWN – Yelling match breaks out in Senate hearing with former Biden official over ‘two spirit’ safe spaces. FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025 Packing a tent, space blanket, tarp and bivy can help you be prepared if severe weather breaks out or your plan takes a turn. Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks out
Verb
  • These outbursts send radiation and charged particles hurling into space and can disrupt communications on Earth if the flare erupts from an Earth-facing sunspot.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The volcano is located on the eastern coast of Sicily and erupts almost continuously, according to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Mike, Hopper, and everyone else who loves her can only stand there and watch as the bomb goes off and the exotic matter explodes.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
  • But if the geological plumbing is clogged, perhaps by silica minerals or rock debris, the pressure can build until the water explodes, vaporizing into steam and shooting boiling water, mud, rocks, and other debris into the air.
    Owen Clarke, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Breaks out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20out. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

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