as in erupted
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
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 broke out
Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for a Jurupa Valley neighborhood on Wednesday after a brushfire broke out nearby, threatening multiple homes as flames were fueled by strong gusts of wind.
—
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Last week, a mass of teens participating in a takeover on Tybee Island, Georgia, was interrupted in panic after police say gunfire broke out along the pier.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
With nine punchouts, four hits and zero walks over seven innings, the lefty stifled an offense that broke out for 11 runs in Monday’s series-opener but has otherwise been a bit quiet lately.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
The opening act had started playing—a local band that never broke out, Sacagawea—but Russ and Cherry just huddled a little closer and kept talking.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Admitting not knowing much about Iran, Yan said her curiosity has only grown stronger since the war broke out.
—Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton broke out of his slump and scored 20 points on an efficient 7 of 12 from the floor.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
An attic fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at Hollywood’s historic Magic Castle, according to the Los Angeles Times.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
All six energy stocks mentioned in Roth Capital's note have risen between 15% and 35% since the Iran war broke out in late February.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Last week, a mass of teens participating in a takeover on Tybee Island, Georgia, was interrupted in panic after police say gunfire broke out along the pier.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
With nine punchouts, four hits and zero walks over seven innings, the lefty stifled an offense that broke out for 11 runs in Monday’s series-opener but has otherwise been a bit quiet lately.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
The opening act had started playing—a local band that never broke out, Sacagawea—but Russ and Cherry just huddled a little closer and kept talking.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Admitting not knowing much about Iran, Yan said her curiosity has only grown stronger since the war broke out.
—Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton broke out of his slump and scored 20 points on an efficient 7 of 12 from the floor.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
An attic fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at Hollywood’s historic Magic Castle, according to the Los Angeles Times.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
All six energy stocks mentioned in Roth Capital's note have risen between 15% and 35% since the Iran war broke out in late February.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke out
Verb
-
Carter erupted for a career-high 29 points with nine rebounds, four assists and two steals, leading the Kings to a 124-118 victory over the Golden State Warriors in their home finale Friday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Etienne erupted for 15 points and four 3-pointers in the opening quarter Friday night at Fiserv Forum, his most points in any quarter or half, and finished with a career-high 23 points and six 3-pointers.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The former safety/Georgetown transfer exploded in 2025 with 125 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four sacks and a first-team All-Sun Belt nod.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
-
And then ChatGPT came out, and AI exploded.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20out. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
