as in incursion
a sudden attack on and entrance into hostile territory
the irruptions of the Goths into Italy in the fifth century
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Recent Examples of irruption
Central to this tumultuous state of affairs was the irruption of graffiti that took the city by surprise starting sometime in the late 1960s as new products like spray-paint and permanent markers were made easily available.
—
Antonio Sergio Bessa, Curbed, 20 Oct. 2025
Orwell narrowed it down to the Edwardian era — 1901 to 1919 — long before the irruptions of two world wars and the Great Depression.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
This is the largest owl irruption in Minnesota in two decades.
—Dan Kraker, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
An irruption is a sudden change in population density.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2023
What is an irruption?
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 22 Nov. 2022
Antonio Sergio Bessa, Curbed, 20 Oct. 2025
Orwell narrowed it down to the Edwardian era — 1901 to 1919 — long before the irruptions of two world wars and the Great Depression.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
This is the largest owl irruption in Minnesota in two decades.
—Dan Kraker, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
An irruption is a sudden change in population density.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2023
What is an irruption?
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 22 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irruption
Noun
-
The incursion feels pointed, but before two Sikh immigrants can be whisked away — men who have lived there a decade or longer — a slight commotion begins.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Our incursion into Venezuela was less about drug trafficking than control of oil.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The meeting, which officials said would be the first trilateral talks since Moscow’s 2022 invasion, comes after a US envoy met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and Washington and Kyiv agreed to postwar security guarantees.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The idea for a new Help album had been percolating since around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.—
Simon Vozick-Levinson,
Rolling Stone,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The thieves snatched an overall eight pieces of jewelry — not including the crown — from the Louvre in the seven-minute raid back in October.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The Amazon-like company has been subjected to a number of investigations, raids, and inspections initiated by the Korea Fair Trade Commission, the country’s primary antitrust regulator, in recent years.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irruption. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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