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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in flurry
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
a sudden burst of industriousness whenever the boss appeared
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a burst of anger that startled the other members on the panel
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burst
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Drainage, Sometimes With Odor Patients may notice lesions that burst and leak pus or blood.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 May 2026
Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
But the Cardinals’ six-run burst came immediately after Miguel Andujar hit a groundball to shortstop that ended the Padres’ fourth-inning rally, and the game was effectively over.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for burst
Verb
But the Internet bubble burst in 2001 and the following year the new AOL-Time Warner sustained a record $99 billion loss, resulting in countless job cuts.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Drainage, Sometimes With Odor Patients may notice lesions that burst and leak pus or blood.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 May 2026
Noun
Lava bursts were also observed overnight from a monitoring post near the volcano.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
But the Cardinals’ six-run burst came immediately after Miguel Andujar hit a groundball to shortstop that ended the Padres’ fourth-inning rally, and the game was effectively over.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for burst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burst
Verb
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While the video game market stood at a whopping $219 billion in 2024, the competition in games has exploded over the past decade or so, with 19,000 games being released in 2023 for consoles and PC, compared to just under 2,000 in 2014, according to data from consulting firm Bain & Company.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
The second one, the one that exploded in Carter’s hands, was round with paper around it and about the size of a baseball.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
Verb
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LaPorta set the rookie tight end record for receptions in 2023 with 86 (the Las Vegas Raiders’ Brock Bowers shattered it a year later with 112).—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
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If the record pace continues, TDT will raise well over $400 million in the current fiscal year, shattering last year’s mark.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Then with a little nudging, the clumsy newborn finds the udder bulging between the cow’s back legs and hungrily suckles colostrum so critical for its first feeding.—
Susan Koch,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Reiner sat mostly expressionless in the courtroom—his eyes wide open and bulging.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As tensions escalate there's been a flurry of diplomacy across the globe.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
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That kicked off a flurry of activity — starting with those who questioned why this was the first warrant for Duckett after more than three decades on death row.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
In 1985, an explosion in the basement of a Ross department store—caused by an unventilated buildup of methane gas underneath the store—razed several city blocks and injured twenty-three people.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
In 1992, a buildup of methane gas and coal dust triggered a massive explosion in the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia, Canada, killing 26 coal miners.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Noun
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The remaining 17 climbers managed to return to their base camp after the eruption and reported their friends missing to the authorities, per CNA.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
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Both agencies agree there is a chance for additional M flares and maybe even X-class eruptions over the coming days as sunspot regions AR4436 and AR4432 continue to evolve.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Robots were used to recover and detonate some of the remaining explosive devices, police said.—
Faris Tanyos,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
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The posture changed dramatically in 1995 when Timothy McVeigh detonated a truck bomb next to a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 167 people.—
Neil Flanagan,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
High-rise timber construction continues to grow in popularity worldwide, with Australia's incredible Atlassian Central wooden skyscraper due to smash all records once completed.—
Adam Williams
May 09,
New Atlas,
9 May 2026
-
By that evening, TV news stations broadcasted images of the bus smashed into the ground, leaving little room to imagine how those trapped inside could have possibly escaped.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burst. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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