Synonyms of burst

burst 1 of 2

verb

ˈbərst 

1

as in to explode

to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure

the turnover's crust burst when the filling expanded

Synonyms & Similar Words

• explode
• detonate
• pop
• blow
• blow up
• go off
• fragment
• crump
• shatter
• smash
• fire
• discharge
• splinter
• shoot
• balloon
• mushroom
• burgeon

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collapse
• implode
• fizzle

2

as in to shatter

to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive

finally burst the piñata open with one mighty swing of the bat

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shatter
• smash
• demolish
• blow
• explode
• pop
• destroy
• blast
• blow up
• detonate
• fragment
• ruin
• wreck
• annihilate
• dynamite
• decimate
• discharge
• splinter

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collapse
• implode

3

as in to bulge

to be copiously supplied

a young singer/dancer who seems to be bursting with energy and talent

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bulge
• buzz
• hum
• brim
• overflow
• crawl
• swarm
• teem
• abound
• bristle
• pullulate
• bustle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• need
• want
• lack

burst

2 of 2

noun

1

as in flurry

a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity

a sudden burst of industriousness whenever the boss appeared

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flurry
• outburst
• spurt
• flutter
• surge
• flare
• outbreak
• flicker
• increase
• flash
• eruption
• boost
• explosion
• renewal
• flare-up
• flood
• rush
• recurrence
• upturn
• spree
• recrudescence
• upswing
• pickup
• volley
• paroxysm
• binge
• deluge
• commotion
• epidemic
• spate
• jag
• uproar
• furor

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• slump
• calm
• doldrums

2

as in explosion

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling

a burst of anger that startled the other members on the panel

Synonyms & Similar Words

• explosion
• outburst
• eruption
• flash
• blaze
• gust
• flare
• flush
• spasm
• gale
• gush
• storm
• frenzy
• paroxysm
• fit
• agony
• ebullition
• rage
• flare-up
• ecstasy
• transport
• rapture
• tantrum
• blowup
• firestorm
• delirium
• furor
• grouch

3

as in eruption

the act or an instance of exploding

one burst after another could be heard in the distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• eruption
• explosion
• bursting
• firing
• blast
• detonation
• outburst
• blowup
• shooting
• pop
• boom
• discharge
• blowout
• bang
• flare-up
• airburst
• groundburst

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of burst

Verb

Authorities rescued residents from high water in several areas in Indiana, including Delaware, Madison, Wayne and Henry counties as rivers burst their banks. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

The wealth of the richest Americans has torqued upward, bursting through the top of the graph, with no end in sight, completely untethered from the rest of the United States. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

Noun

Solar storms, like the one in August 1972 that hit during the gap between the Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 missions, throw bursts of protons intense enough to raise an astronaut’s cancer risk or even cause radiation sickness. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026

D’Andre Swift opened the period with an explosive run for 29 yards plus a 12-yard burst on the next snap. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Phrases Containing burst

• burst (forth)