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burst 1 of 2

verb

ˈbərst How to pronounce burst (audio)
Definition of burstnext
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

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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

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3
as in to bulge
to be copiously supplied a young singer/dancer who seems to be bursting with energy and talent

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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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3
as in eruption
the act or an instance of exploding one burst after another could be heard in the distance

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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 burst
Verb
But the firm also expects what many investors see as an AI bubble to burst next year, leading to a more than 20% drop in the S&P 500 by the end of 2027. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026 Lots of people are asking whether the massive wave of AI infrastructure spending is a bubble poised to burst. — Harvard Business Review, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
This time, the initial burst of chaos came courtesy of Lawrence. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Stewart, who has now four World Cup titles to her name, had four points during the game-changing burst. — ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for burst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burst
  1. explode
  2. shatter
  3. bulge
  4. flurry
  5. explosion
  6. eruption
  7. detonate
  8. smash
Verb
  • The match was instead a battle of strategy and focus, and a test of which player could execute her shots best under pressure, amid the excited buzz of a crowd waiting for reasons to explode.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The cost of living for middle class families for average Americans is exploding.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of explode
Verb
  • Last week a number of concerned mathematicians, many of them at the top of their subject, launched the Association for Human Mathematics (AHM)—an effort that was underway even before the earth-shattering Navier-Stokes news.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Maya’s fear of commitment mirrors the film’s fear of showing us anything truly ugly or grappling with the idea that our heroine is one of many, many people who lost someone during a society-shattering number of years.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • At the end of his second-round match against Hubert Hurkacz, an eye-bulging celebration followed a relentless performance against a very tricky opponent.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Inside, the main route to the galleries is down a stairwell between rough black bulging walls.
    — Michael Joseph Gross, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bulge
Noun
  • After a flurry of fall festival activity in Venice and Telluride, the curtain is coming down on another year at TIFF.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • But a flurry of new contracts in 2026 has two more coaches on par with Reid and another pair knocking at the door of $20 million, based on a half-dozen conversations with those familiar with NFL coaching contracts.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of flurry
Noun
  • Among the most destructive munitions in Western military arsenals, an MK-84 explosion sends metal fragments in every direction for thousands of feet, can rip through metal and thick concrete, and often creates large craters in the earth.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The supervisor also will have a say in the county’s defense against a multimillion-dollar lawsuit stemming from the deadly 2025 Esparto fireworks explosion.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of explosion
Noun
  • But Alex Bregman and the rest of the Cubs’ offensive eruption allowed Imanaga to settle into cruise control, which helped give the Cubs a 12-2 blowout of the Pirates at Wrigley Field.
    — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Geology Agency cautioned that volcanic activity remains elevated and the probability of further eruptions is still high.
    — Niniek Karmini, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of eruption
Verb
  • The tests confirmed that CycloRP could successfully detonate inside the engine.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Igor Kirillov, a general in charge of the Russian military’s nuclear and chemical weapons protection forces, was killed in December 2024 when an explosive device planted on a scooter was detonated near him.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of detonate
Verb
  • The image of babies smashed to bits is likely to arouse protests like Abraham’s.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The helicopter crashed in a driveway between two warehouses, smashing into a pair of truck cargo containers while the news crew tried grabbing video footage of a serious collision involving a Metro bus that also left two people dead.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of smash

Phrases Containing burst

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burrs
burst
burst (forth)
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Cite this Entry

“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burst. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on burst

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about burst

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