1
as in flurry
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity there was an immediate outbreak of paper shuffling and a pretense of work when the supervisor passed through the room

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2
as in revolt
open fighting against authority (as one's own government) the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency

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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 outbreak Since 2017, a particularly dangerous strain of E. coli O157:H7 has emerged across the country to spark outbreaks, severe disease, and deaths. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 14 May 2025 The measles outbreak that began in Texas with just a few cases at the end of January has now expanded to a point where some health authorities are calling it an epidemic. Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 13 May 2025 The items, produced by Fresh & Ready Foods, were connected to a Listeria outbreak in two states. Jenna Anderson, Health, 12 May 2025 Measles cases in the U.S. have surpassed 900 as outbreaks continue to spread across the county, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data published Friday. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
  • The news spread quickly, and the prospect of IDR payments doubling or tripling for some married borrowers led to a flurry of questions, distress on social media, and even talk of extreme measures.
    Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • In a flurry of diplomatic developments over the weekend, Russia shunned the ceasefire proposal tabled by the U.S. and European leaders, but offered direct talks with Ukraine on Thursday.
    Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • History shows that conclaves have ranged from a matter of hours to nearly three years, shaped by intrigue, deadlock, and even popular revolt.
    Dan Cody, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
  • And then, the third attempt was to carry out the revolt, which again fails.
    Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 5 May 2025
Noun
  • The pair hoped to make progress against urea-cycle disorders – inherited metabolic problems, like KJ’s that leave young children vulnerable to bursts of damaging ammonia.
    Karen Weintraub, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • The 23-year-old has the raw materials to become a decent striker, including a decent burst of acceleration, but needs to play more to develop, which might not happen at Barca.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • In many respects, the film already feels out of date, mostly covering Trump’s crimes during his first term as well as the January 6 Capitol insurrection rather than dipping into the more flagrant fascism of his past few months back in office.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
  • Those who are exasperated about the decline of their club want more direct action for change, more protest and insurrection.
    Rob Tanner, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • For more than a year now, the sun has been in the opposite phase—the solar maximum—with a messy magnetic field, plenty of sunspots and regular outbursts.
    Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 9 May 2025
  • The Vikings’ nine-run outburst in the second inning was matched by the Caravan’s six-run fifth.
    Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • The nation has fixed its eye on the protests: the film’s opening sequence shows denunciations of the uprisings from both conservative and liberal news media.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
  • The uprising has set the country on a new path, with an interim government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, preparing to hold elections by early next year.
    Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • There were some other problems early on as well, but what a difference a mutiny makes.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 15 May 2025
  • This led to a mutiny among the sailors and the enslaved people — after which around 650 people remained.
    Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • After leading some of his fellow players in an uprising against the games, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) sees his rebellion instantly squashed.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who is waiting for the weekend to join the rebellion.
    Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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