1
as in explodes
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
the turnover's crust burst when the filling expanded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shatters
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 flurries
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 explosions
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a burst of anger that startled the other members on the panel
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in eruptions
the act or an instance of exploding
one burst after another could be heard in the distance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bursts
FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Once a cushioned conduit to the other side, the casket now bursts with the wisdom of a life lived outside the box.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
As Antoine Semenyo chases a loose ball down the left flank, left-back Adrien Truffert bursts forward to support him inside.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Sedona Sedona is another popular fall break destination for many reasons, least of all being Oak Creek Canyon, which bursts with color during the autumn months.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
As Alien fans know, the facehugger will impregnate its host with a Xenomorph embryo, which eventually bursts from the host's chest.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
The movie is a tour de force In IMAX, the format’s large screen and huge sound a perfect partner for the purple one’s charisma, which positively bursts off the screen.
—Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Third Thursdays bring the festive Art Walk, when the district bursts with local art, live music, and technicolor vibes.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2025
Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
And Falkous, for all that his bursts of mad atonality hit the ear first, knows precisely where to hammer in every syllable for the maximum impact.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
The Trimmer’s life is marked by long periods of observation interrupted by bursts of decisive action.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Rather than gradually building speed, the system emphasizes instant response, allowing riders to tap into the bike’s higher output for short bursts – whether accelerating away from a stop, tackling uneven terrain or simply adding a more dynamic feel to the ride.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
These are short bursts of brain activity that help block out external noise.
—Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026
The Kona low was moving off to the east, Evans said, and should not pose further risk of bursts like Monday's.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Early-morning futures markets are typically less liquid, which can make short bursts of buying and selling more noticeable than during regular trading hours.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
Short bursts of sound waves nudged the kink a few disks at a time toward the sound source.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts.
—FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Once a cushioned conduit to the other side, the casket now bursts with the wisdom of a life lived outside the box.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
As Antoine Semenyo chases a loose ball down the left flank, left-back Adrien Truffert bursts forward to support him inside.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Sedona Sedona is another popular fall break destination for many reasons, least of all being Oak Creek Canyon, which bursts with color during the autumn months.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
As Alien fans know, the facehugger will impregnate its host with a Xenomorph embryo, which eventually bursts from the host's chest.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
The movie is a tour de force In IMAX, the format’s large screen and huge sound a perfect partner for the purple one’s charisma, which positively bursts off the screen.
—Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Third Thursdays bring the festive Art Walk, when the district bursts with local art, live music, and technicolor vibes.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
Sperm whales communicate via bursts of clicks, called codas, and the researchers—part of a project called the Cetacean Translation Initiative, or CETI—are hoping one day to decipher what the codas mean.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
And Falkous, for all that his bursts of mad atonality hit the ear first, knows precisely where to hammer in every syllable for the maximum impact.
—Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
The Trimmer’s life is marked by long periods of observation interrupted by bursts of decisive action.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Rather than gradually building speed, the system emphasizes instant response, allowing riders to tap into the bike’s higher output for short bursts – whether accelerating away from a stop, tackling uneven terrain or simply adding a more dynamic feel to the ride.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
These are short bursts of brain activity that help block out external noise.
—Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026
The Kona low was moving off to the east, Evans said, and should not pose further risk of bursts like Monday's.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Early-morning futures markets are typically less liquid, which can make short bursts of buying and selling more noticeable than during regular trading hours.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
Short bursts of sound waves nudged the kink a few disks at a time toward the sound source.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bursts
Verb
-
The main weapon that the Ukrainians had used to inflict this damage was the suicide drone, which costs about $400 to make and explodes on impact.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Characters will die and the entire lab sometimes explodes, only for things to snap back to normal in the very next episode.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For example, people now take care to wear shoes at home in case an explosion shatters glass, or there’s a need to evacuate immediately.—
Jason Rezaian,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
-
At that moment, the mirror reflecting the entire contents of Frenza’s mind from the past few days shatters in a kaleidoscope of dreams.—
Agnieszka Szpila,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The space buzzes with the energy of collective creativity and collaboration.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The air buzzes with light music and the sound of the espresso machine as Victoria Semerei, absorbed in a book, lounges in a chair.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Light snow flurries were falling.—
Jack Perry,
The Providence Journal,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Neither that, nor Monday’s snow flurries, stopped Jennifer Hall and her family from making their own Magic City hoodies and proudly wearing them to the game at State Farm Arena.—
DeAsia Paige,
AJC.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In Israel, loud explosions filled the air in Tel Aviv and emergency crews responded to nearly a dozen impact sites.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
According to the Iranian media, one witness reported hearing multiple explosions near Mashhad Airport shortly after 7 pm, local time.—
Moriah Thomas,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Other prominent arsenic peaks, alongside major sulfate peaks, likely indicate major volcanic events that align with records of 13th century eruptions recorded in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores.—
Nidhi Sharma,
Popular Science,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Article continues below Previous eruptions have caused massive damage and fatalities.—
Brett Tingley,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Advertisement Christine Adams Courtesy of Apple TV Lang gets off the train and, once at a safe distance, detonates the explosive.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
But once in a rare while, the frame detonates into history.—
Christopher Anderson,
Vanity Fair,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Delivery robot smashes into glass of bus shelter in Old Town on Tuesday afternoon.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In fact, Bridget has a bold take that smashes our assumptions about what science is supposed to look like to smithereens.—
Mariel Carr,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bursts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bursts. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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