BURSTS Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

bursts 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of burst

as in explodes

to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the turnover's crust burst when the filling expanded

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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

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as in buzzes

to be copiously supplied a young singer/dancer who seems to be bursting with energy and talent

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bursts

2 of 2

noun

plural of burst

as in flurries

a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity a sudden burst of industriousness whenever the boss appeared

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as in explosions

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a burst of anger that startled the other members on the panel

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as in eruptions

the act or an instance of exploding one burst after another could be heard in the distance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

implosions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bursts

Verb

Things quickly take a terrifying turn during surgery when a scorpion tail suddenly bursts through Perry’s back, attacking one of the surgeons mid-operation. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 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 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 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 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

Back at Camp Cranium, bursts of laughter, whoops of delight and distant chatter punctuated the humid summer air. — Lydia McFarlane, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 To achieve this, the locus coeruleus continuously alternates between tonic activity—governing baseline arousal and alertness—and brief phasic bursts that focus attention on critical events. — Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 His emails were these enthusiastic bursts of ideas (always original and often impractical) about how to get our future students excited about creative writing. — Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026 Heavy bursts of water can contribute to the breakdown of soil aggregates. — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 Solar panels produce massive bursts of cheap electricity during midday. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026 The trick is to hold the can 8 to 10 inches away, and spray in short bursts. — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026 The Flo Shutoff system from Moen connects to your pipes and detects leaks—from drippy pipes to massive bursts—and automatically closes the main valve to prevent flooding damage. — Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026 Solar storms, like the one in August 1972 that hit during the gap between the Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 missions, throw bursts of protons intense enough to raise an astronaut’s cancer risk or even cause radiation sickness. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bursts

Verb

The accusation rumbles, then explodes locally, drawing in authorities and prompting an investigation.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Most is in the form of subatomic particles called neutrinos, which carry little energy individually but are generated in vast numbers when a star explodes.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of explodes

Verb

Stand-Up Paddleboarding at Lakeside Marina Jessica Verne The alarm buzzes early on our second full day in South Lake Tahoe.

— Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
The kitchen buzzes as volunteers carry in trays of Creole dishes and barbecue while one of the sisters stirs a large cooler of lemon margaritas.

— Windsor Johnston, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of buzzes

Noun

Our arrival in the Madawaska River country of eastern Ontario, near Combermere, was noteworthy only for the snow flurries and marrow-chilling gales that howled down from Hudson Bay to greet us.

— HARRY H. EDEL, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026
The past 14 years have included some flurries of diplomatic contact between Iran and the West.

— Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Definition of flurries

Noun

The explosions provide different interruptions, punctuating the moment as one of Keeley’s ideas plays out in real time.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Over the course of its five-year mission, the Roman telescope will capture images of the Milky Way, survey the entire sky and observe supernova explosions that occurred as far as 8 billion years ago.

— Josh Feldman, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of explosions

Noun

Mann said that the study doesn't have a complete record of corals over the past 1,000 years, and also that his research has shown that volcanic eruptions have played more of a role than climate change in past El Niño events.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Sonic booms, volcanic eruptions and meteor airbursts can produce similar atmospheric shock waves, potentially creating other natural seismic sources.

— Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of eruptions

Verb

If the ammunition detonates after penetration, the explosion is directed away from the crew compartment, significantly improving the crew’s chances of survival.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
After the pass comes to Bridges, who detonates passersby at the basket regularly, White goes straight up, though with a little more oomph than usual.

— Fred Katz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of detonates

Verb

That is less than half as many as the set that produced many of his signature smashes and turned him into a chart-topper.

— Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
For now, Paramount isn’t producing the billion-dollar box office smashes that drive millions of butts into theater seats (not to mention robust sales of novelty popcorn buckets).

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026