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

Protesters burst in and take over news conference as Madison police identify man killed by officer a day earlier. — ABC News, 23 July 2026

Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to burst and release their juices. — Laura McLively, Mercury News, 23 July 2026

Noun

In the last few years, a slew of secondhand trends have come and gone, from the Y2K renaissance, to an Indie sleaze’s revival (which never quite took off), to the recent burst of 1990s minimalism à la Calvin Klein and Prada. — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 30 July 2026

It’s called Music, Fashion, Film, and it was conceived in what she’s described as a burst of inspiration during last fall’s Paris Fashion Week. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Phrases Containing burst

• burst (forth)