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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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
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Recent Examples of burst
Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
The weather didn’t put a damper on the energy of the performers or the crowd as fireworks burst over the stage and fire effects lit up the damp night.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2025
Austa Somvichian-Clausen, Robb Report, 15 June 2025
The novel’s ending is the sort of style-melding genre-bending writing Oates is known for, where the plot is wrapped up in a burst of emotive, rhythmic, fantastical, almost abstract yet deeply human prose.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for burst
Verb
Fintech valuations fell dramatically over the next two years, after interest rates rose and the bubble burst.
—Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
The weather didn’t put a damper on the energy of the performers or the crowd as fireworks burst over the stage and fire effects lit up the damp night.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2025
Noun
On the skin, the fragrance opens with a burst of lime and bright, spicy pink peppercorn, evoking the feeling of walking through a citrus grove under the desert sun.
—Austa Somvichian-Clausen, Robb Report, 15 June 2025
The novel’s ending is the sort of style-melding genre-bending writing Oates is known for, where the plot is wrapped up in a burst of emotive, rhythmic, fantastical, almost abstract yet deeply human prose.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for burst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burst
Verb
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The number of craft breweries exploded from around 1,500 to over 5,000.—
Joe Chura,
Rolling Stone,
25 June 2025
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The 30,000-pound bombs burrow deep into the earth before exploding.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
25 June 2025
Verb
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In the meantime, Aimee Gutierrez, Saint’s owner, and her family have been shattered by the loss and the deaths of the other dogs.—
Sean Emery,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
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These moves have shattered walls that have long kept data within the agencies that collect it.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
25 June 2025
Verb
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If the surface bulges outward at that point, then the flow moves inward.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
31 Mar. 2025
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Photos posted online showed the snake arrived at a Virginia animal hospital with a bulging body.—
Simone Jasper,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Then, in early May, came a flurry of warnings — emails from spoofed Coinbase.com addresses, suspicious activity alerts, and a barrage of phone calls.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
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Schools are hosting camps, prospects are taking official visits and a flurry of commitments have landed over the past two-plus weeks.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Noun
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No one was injured in the explosion, which rained debris on the beaches of the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 June 2025
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Like Squid Game, Dead Set juxtaposes familiar cultural symbols and settings with grim, inevitable explosions of blood, straddling the line between twisted, compelling drama and a sobering reminder of violence lurking in our present society.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
27 June 2025
Noun
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The eruption is flowing into a remote area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
20 June 2025
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Intense enough to ionize Earth's upper atmosphere, the eruption caused a shortwave radio blackout centered over the Pacific Ocean.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Bottom sea mines are placed on the seabed and designed to detonate when a ship passes nearby.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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The defenseless shark is detonated to bits and everyone cheers.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
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On June 21, Mitchell, South Dakota, broke its daily high temperatures record at 104 degrees, smashing its previous record of 101 degrees.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
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Numerous other boats were damaged that day as the powerful thunderstorm churned up waves and sent boats smashing into each other and the marina, according to KCRA-TV.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burst. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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