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
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Recent Examples of broke out
But an explosive row broke out between the hierarchy and Nuno, who felt the squad was unequipped for the schedule’s demands.
—
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Authorities confirmed at least six people were injured Wednesday after a shooting broke out during a teenager's funeral in Ferguson, Missouri.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Firefighters are on the scenes of two large fires that broke out early Wednesday morning in the Bronx.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The Gophers fell behind 10-0 and missed their opening nine shots but worked their way to the free-throw line and broke out of their drought from the field to take a 16-12 lead with 11 minutes left in the first half.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2026
Officials said the fire broke out in a second floor apartment in the 800 block of North May Street.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Protesters banged drums outside a hotel where federal agents were believed to be sleeping, while skirmishes broke out near a federal building.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
But Adebayo broke out of that slump on Tuesday, for at least one game.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
The shooting reportedly happened after a fight broke out in the parking lot.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Authorities confirmed at least six people were injured Wednesday after a shooting broke out during a teenager's funeral in Ferguson, Missouri.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Firefighters are on the scenes of two large fires that broke out early Wednesday morning in the Bronx.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The Gophers fell behind 10-0 and missed their opening nine shots but worked their way to the free-throw line and broke out of their drought from the field to take a 16-12 lead with 11 minutes left in the first half.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2026
Officials said the fire broke out in a second floor apartment in the 800 block of North May Street.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Protesters banged drums outside a hotel where federal agents were believed to be sleeping, while skirmishes broke out near a federal building.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
But Adebayo broke out of that slump on Tuesday, for at least one game.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
The shooting reportedly happened after a fight broke out in the parking lot.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke out
Verb
-
Instead, a wild, lengthy brawl erupted between the two bitter rivals, adding to this simmering feud.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The Jaguars led 43-41 going into the final period but the Grizzlies erupted for a 16-0 run to open a 57-43 advantage with about 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Nelson’s first goal of the game gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period before Minnesota exploded for seven scores in the middle frame.—
Tom Carothers,
Twin Cities,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Revenues surged, subscriber numbers exploded, and the stock price rose accordingly.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20out. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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