Thesaurus results for BROKE OUT

broke out

verb

past tense of break out

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

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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 broke out His six year old cousin opened the door and broke out in pure glee, rushing back to call for his mother. —

Yousra Elbagir, Time, 25 Feb. 2026 However, fighting broke out again in December 2025, and 100 people were reported dead before another ceasefire was reached. —

Abc News, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026 Nataliia Sukhar left her home in northeastern Kharkiv after the war broke out, catching a 15-hour train to Berlin with her then 5-year-old son, Gleb, on a journey followed by NBC News. —

Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026 Just before the shooting, fights broke out among numerous people watching a sideshow involving some 20 vehicles, including dirt bikes and ATVs, police initially said. —

Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026 Panic also broke out at Aeropuerto Internacional Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in Guadalajara, as travelers scrambled for safety. —

Darius Johnson, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026 Violence broke out in Puerto Vallarta after a powerful cartel leader was killed in a Mexican military operation. —

Nathan Diller, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026 Scuffles broke out between backroom staff, with one member from Real Madrid being shown a red card, while Benfica boss Jose Mourinho had a heated conversation with Vinicius Jr. —

Tim Spiers, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026 Economic output by worker per hour broke out of its pandemic funk to new all-time highs last year, federal statistics show. —

Alex Harring, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke out

Verb

Their pioneering sound was the bedrock that led to salsa’s enduring popularity, which erupted in the Seventies.

— Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
Angst over the city’s changing demographics has often erupted in Springfield’s city commission meetings, where citizens can speak their mind at an open podium.

— Caitlin Hu, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026