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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

In these moments, the actor bursts through his roles as the Spider does through Reilly, unleashing the Grand Guignol excess that is Nicolas Cage. — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 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

Noun

The electrical system provides the high bursts of power needed for vertical take-offs and landings, while the fuel engine sustains long-range cruising. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026 This nebula, called the Red Spider Nebula, is scuttling around space while its central star, glowing bright red in the middle, ejects bursts of gas and dust. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2026 As journals rose in popularity, so did the book dispensed in bursts. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026 The artificial intelligence trade may or may not be in a bubble, but no matter what happens there are still defensive areas to hide in if the market bursts, according to Capital Economics. — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2026 The hope is that those bursts of experimentation can keep adding up to lasting employment at Hoorae. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2026 That means far less rolling-shutter wobble, along with bursts of up to 20 frames per second (fps) for as many as 200 frames. — New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026 Still, the episodes move along so fast and the bursts of talent emerge with enough frequency that Minimum Wage makes for an amusing, energetic, instantly disposable binge. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026 Songs stop on a dime, linger in uncomfortable silence, then erupt in bursts of mechanical noise. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 25 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bursts

Verb

Most concerning for Talarico as Hispanic turnout explodes throughout the state are accounts that Latino men aren’t sold on his candidacy.

— W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
In other words, desire, in an unrepressed form, explodes the channels through which it is expected to flow.

— Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of explodes

Verb

When a server migration wipes out Sally’s treasured videos of him — and her phone containing backup copies accidentally shatters — the only hope is finding the original tapes.

— Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
With their daughter away at college, Abby and husband Gordy (Arquette) are settling into life as empty nesters when the arrival of a mysterious young woman (Shouse) shatters their sense of safety.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of shatters

Verb

Every time the twitchy little bug stops for a moment, Snaggletooth focuses to prepare a pounce, only to be thwarted as the fatty snack buzzes to another spot in the nest.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Many speak Russian, but also maintain their own native languages and traditions — dishing out their best gossip in the saunas while a Lakers game buzzes in the background.

— Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of buzzes

Noun

Similarly, flurries and snow showers are expected in the Upper Midwest, along with chillier-than-normal temperatures.

— Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 21 Oct. 2026
And a colleague spotted on a webcam video what appeared to be flurries at Beech Mountain Saturday morning.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of flurries

Noun

Iranian state media reported explosions being heard on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
But many of its test flights so far have ended in fiery explosions; its next test, Flight 15, is slated for mid-November.

— Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of explosions

Noun

However, eruptions and lava flows have been conspicuous by their absence.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Together, these tools offered astronomers extraordinary insights into GRBs—extremely luminous eruptions that occur in distant galaxies when massive stars explode or collide, sometimes leaving behind neutron stars or black holes.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of eruptions

Verb

Forever Home FilmNation Entertainment, the Mediapro Studio A corpse beneath an idyllic home detonates this domestic thriller adapted from Graham Norton’s bestseller.

— Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
The missile, called a PrSM—for precision-strike missile—detonates midair and spreads thousands of small tungsten fragments in all directions.

— Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of detonates

Verb

In them, a high voltage creates a hot plasma that smashes nuclei together.

— George Musser, Quanta Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
The episode’s action-movie finale drops the rest of the episode’s spoofy meta humor and aims at straight drama, as Butcherbird smashes through Katerina’s security detail and drops her disguise.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026