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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burst
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Ritchie’s raps feel pointed and specific, and even the flashier moments—electronic squelches that burst and break like an Arca production—pack a harder punch in their containment.
—Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Marin Wolf — Boston Globe, STAT, 8 Jan. 2026
Then enjoy the delightful burst of flavors.
—Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burst
Verb
As Minneapolis burst with protest and rage over the weekend, the White House held a screening, with Ratner in attendance alongside Tim Cook, Andy Jassy, and Mike Tyson.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Ritchie’s raps feel pointed and specific, and even the flashier moments—electronic squelches that burst and break like an Arca production—pack a harder punch in their containment.
—Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
The biotech industry has struggled since the pandemic bubble of over-investment burst.
—Marin Wolf — Boston Globe, STAT, 8 Jan. 2026
Then enjoy the delightful burst of flavors.
—Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burst
Verb
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It's now been 40 years since New Hampshire school teacher Christa McAuliffe died when the space shuttle Challenger exploded.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Just more than a minute after ignition, the ruptured booster caused the shuttle’s giant external fuel tank to explode, tearing the vehicle to pieces over the ocean and dooming all seven astronauts.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The sequence of Enoch among the heavenly hosts, violent, shattering with Blakeian geometry and color.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Family describes unimaginable grief In a statement, Grace Brito's mother, Tracy Brito, described a family shattered by the loss of their daughter.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The surrounding metropolitan area has similarly bulged.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The workshop was a leather Pouch, bulging with what a child can win.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Having beaten Rybakina from a similar situation in the 2023 title clash, Sabalenka unleashed a flurry of winners to go ahead 3-0, but the Kazakh erased the deficit and broke for 4-3 before securing the victory to add to her 2022 Wimbledon triumph.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
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Garnett, a Biden appointee, ruled after a flurry of court filings in the prosecution and defense in recent months.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Video footage that appeared to be taken at the scene captured loud blasts and the sky glowing following explosions that began around midnight and lasted about two hours in the area of Diori Hamani International Airport.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
An explosion was reported at a metal fabricating plant on Thursday night in Pennsylvania, according to officials.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps a cataclysm—an earthquake, a volcanic eruption—had driven those people away.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The eight main islands were formed by eruptions, landslides and erosion over thousands of years.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gemma then detonates the device.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
-
On Unknown Pleasures, the producer had taken Joy Division’s dense goth-punk sound into a frozen field and detonated it.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
An agent pepper sprayed him, smashed his window and dragged him out of the car, according to his account.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
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By smashing together heavy atoms of lead traveling at near-light speeds using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), scientists can create a high-energy environment that briefly frees gluons and quarks from this atomic bondage, recreating the quark-gluon plasma of the early universe.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burst. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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