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
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
Nine people were hurt when a shooting broke out at an Airbnb birthday party advertised on social media, Ohio authorities say.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Bad Boy, which broke out worldwide on Netflix, is returning for a second season.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
That’s what happened in October 2019, when demonstrations against corruption and high unemployment broke out across Iraq, leading to street clashes that left hundreds of people dead.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
However, last year, Sherwood broke out, racking up 158 tackles, a couple of sacks and three passes defended in a starting role.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Silas McCay, 21, told WBRC that the suspect tried talking to Kimber before a fight broke out.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
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
Nine people were hurt when a shooting broke out at an Airbnb birthday party advertised on social media, Ohio authorities say.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Bad Boy, which broke out worldwide on Netflix, is returning for a second season.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
That’s what happened in October 2019, when demonstrations against corruption and high unemployment broke out across Iraq, leading to street clashes that left hundreds of people dead.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
However, last year, Sherwood broke out, racking up 158 tackles, a couple of sacks and three passes defended in a starting role.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Silas McCay, 21, told WBRC that the suspect tried talking to Kimber before a fight broke out.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke out
Verb
-
As Varsho trotted, the Rogers Centre erupted – and the fans kept partying on the club level well past midnight.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Investigators believe gunfire erupted after an ICE officer confronted the suspect’s vehicle and smashed a window with their service weapon, a law enforcement source said.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But things do appear to have exploded dramatically in the last half-decade.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Drug-overdose numbers exploded.—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20out. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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