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
Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Because along with Vosk, there is a lot of vitality in Beaches, most especially bursting from the four young performers who play childhood and teen versions of Bertie and Cee Cee.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
The biggest difference is relying on organization and routine rather than a brief burst of energy.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burst
Verb
Haaland bursts our bubble almost immediately by scoring in the opening five minutes, and Burnley miss a few good first-half chances, with striker Zian Flemming particularly culpable.
—Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Because along with Vosk, there is a lot of vitality in Beaches, most especially bursting from the four young performers who play childhood and teen versions of Bertie and Cee Cee.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
Instead of short bursts of watering that only reach the top layer of soil and encourage shallow roots, use drip irrigation so water will reach deeper into the soil.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
The biggest difference is relying on organization and routine rather than a brief burst of energy.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burst
Verb
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Either way, these early flowering plants explode with gorgeous color in spring and attract early season bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
22 Apr. 2026
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Dancing with the Stars exploded in popularity last season, raking in its largest audience in years driven by interest from younger viewers.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Word of Smith’s death had shattered his family, especially his father, who can’t believe his son is gone.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
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The incredible true story of Takeru Kobayashi — or how a skinny 22-year-old from Japan shattered world records at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest and catapulted the fringe spectacle of competitive eating into a wildly lucrative American sports phenomenon.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nicholas Galitzine, resplendent with wavy blond hair and bulging muscles, has the power.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Rather than use a standard shopping basket or bag, the man’s backpack appeared to be bulging at the seams — its straps straining under the weight of unidentified and clearly heavy cargo.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Crouse’s goals capped an early flurry that saw the Mammoth score four times over the first 30 minutes while being limited to only eight shots on goal during that stretch.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
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In a flurry of activity beginning on March 8, 2025, Purdue filed documents that show lines crossing out the eligibility criteria and victim compensation amounts, with no explanation or substitute language.—
Craig R. McCoy,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After a faulty cooling system was left to disrepair, rising temperatures resulted in an explosion with the equivalent force of 70-100 tons of TNT.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
To locals, Soviet leaders seemed to be downplaying the severity of the explosion.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That person belongs to a different time, to a different town and to people who cannot be expected to remain the same, any more than the slopes of a volcano can be expected to still be molten rock an eon after the last eruption.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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Major eruptions of pushback against Meta include the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018, when the unauthorized harvesting of personal data from up to 87 million Facebook users was used for political advertising, adding to criticisms that the site pushes divisive and extreme political content.—
Ryan Cormier,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The court sided with a soldier who was badly injured when a Taliban operative working at the Bagram Airfield detonated a suicide bomb.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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Authorities determined that an explosive device had been brought aboard the aircraft, likely concealed in a radio, and detonated shortly after takeoff.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But as anyone who’s dropped a mug knows, ceramics are also brittle and prone to smashing.—
Caitlin Kennedy,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2026
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Police said three men wearing masks and all black clothing entered the open business and allegedly used a hammer to smash out several glass panels.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burst. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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