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
During the event, several confrontations broke out, but were quickly calmed by police, who had formed a perimeter around Zellerbach Hall.
—
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2025
Fisticuffs broke out in some workouts as teammates vied to earn professional contracts.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2025
Some roads saw slick stretches but cleared up by the late afternoon when the sun broke out.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Nov. 2025
However, moments after the final whistle, a massive brawl broke out at midfield involving several players from both teams.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Lawsuits, conspiracy theories and protests broke out.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
Some broke out into dancing, while many became emotional, hugging one another.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
The brothers chased the intruder out of the house and into a nearby alley, where a fight broke out.
—Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Teen Vogue, which broke out for its political coverage, will focus on topics including career development and leadership.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2025
Fisticuffs broke out in some workouts as teammates vied to earn professional contracts.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2025
Some roads saw slick stretches but cleared up by the late afternoon when the sun broke out.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Nov. 2025
However, moments after the final whistle, a massive brawl broke out at midfield involving several players from both teams.
—Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Lawsuits, conspiracy theories and protests broke out.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
Some broke out into dancing, while many became emotional, hugging one another.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
The brothers chased the intruder out of the house and into a nearby alley, where a fight broke out.
—Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Teen Vogue, which broke out for its political coverage, will focus on topics including career development and leadership.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke out
Verb
-
When Posa slammed Washington quarterback Demond Williams to the ground for a game-clincher on fourth-and-6, some 70,000 fans erupted as if thawed from a long freeze.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Footage of the crash showed a towering wave of smoke and flames billowing skyward near the airport after the low-flying plane struggled to climb and then erupted into an enormous fireball on impact.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Green Wave exploded on offense to take a 35-17 lead over the Tigers at halftime.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has unveiled its second Focus program for the 55th edition, turning the spotlight on Japan’s V-Cinema — the direct-to-video movement that exploded in the late 1980s and profoundly shaped the country’s contemporary film culture.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20out. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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