1
as in flurries
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in insurrections
open fighting against authority (as one's own government)
the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outbreaks
There have been outbreaks of tuberculosis and measles at the site, and ICE officers have used the dangerously subpar conditions to pressure detainees to sign papers authorizing their deportation.
—
Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
Norovirus outbreaks happen relatively often on cruise ships, especially those operated by major cruise lines.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
While a ceasefire went into effect in Gaza in October, there have been regular outbreaks of violence since then.
—Reuters, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
The outbreaks have mostly impacted children, with fewer kids getting routine vaccines due to parental waivers, health care access issues and widespread disinformation.
—Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The majority of schools in Spartanburg County now have vaccination rates below the 95% threshold required to prevent measles outbreaks.
—Maria Godoy, NPR, 14 Mar. 2026
Right now, the site pulls in more than 100 different streams of data, including stock prices, prediction markets, satellite movements, weather alerts, major-airport flight data, fire outbreaks, and the operational status of cloud services such as Cloudflare and AWS.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
In 2025, the CDC reported 23 onboard outbreaks, according to the study.
—Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 14 Mar. 2026
Through the years, there have been more oil spills, but also toxic algae blooms poisoning sea creatures with domoic acid and disease outbreaks, unusual stranding events that would fill the center to maximum capacity.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
Norovirus outbreaks happen relatively often on cruise ships, especially those operated by major cruise lines.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
While a ceasefire went into effect in Gaza in October, there have been regular outbreaks of violence since then.
—Reuters, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
The outbreaks have mostly impacted children, with fewer kids getting routine vaccines due to parental waivers, health care access issues and widespread disinformation.
—Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The majority of schools in Spartanburg County now have vaccination rates below the 95% threshold required to prevent measles outbreaks.
—Maria Godoy, NPR, 14 Mar. 2026
Right now, the site pulls in more than 100 different streams of data, including stock prices, prediction markets, satellite movements, weather alerts, major-airport flight data, fire outbreaks, and the operational status of cloud services such as Cloudflare and AWS.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
In 2025, the CDC reported 23 onboard outbreaks, according to the study.
—Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 14 Mar. 2026
Through the years, there have been more oil spills, but also toxic algae blooms poisoning sea creatures with domoic acid and disease outbreaks, unusual stranding events that would fill the center to maximum capacity.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreaks
Noun
-
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
-
Scattered flurries are possible in the afternoon and evening, with the chance of a snow squall in the Poconos.—
Tammie Souza,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Unlike coups or insurrections, which are swift and explicit, modern democratic backsliding is often incremental.—
Helena Carpio,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Yet Grace is the one who wakes up in space, and this story emerges nonlinearly, narrative flashbacks like bursts of memory ripping through his brain, discombobulated after a long intergalactic coma.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Most are performed for five-second bursts, in sets of 15.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Continue reading … THINK AGAIN — New 'microgeneration' of students revolts against 'cringy' campus wokeness.—
,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The royal government was also known as a dictatorship for banning political parties, suppressing revolts and political opposition, controlling the press and having its own secret police force called SAVAK.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Similar scoring outbursts from the Case Western Reserve recruit were not forthcoming, of course.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This undersells the singular malignance of her outbursts, which drove away Black and white allies alike.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the latest January 2026 uprisings, it is estimated that the regime massacred in excess of 40,000 protestors.—
Ghassan E. El-Eid,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Kurds in Iran have a long history of grievances and uprisings against both the current Islamic Republic and the monarchy that preceded it.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The legislation excludes people accused of involvement in military rebellions or coups, as well as those charged with serious crimes such as human-rights violations, intentional homicide, drug trafficking and corruption.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Aren’t rebellions built on hope?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That mobility occasionally allowed for communication and coordination during mutinies.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
-
This includes leader assassination attempts by political opponents or lone wolves or mutinies by disgruntled soldiers who might even march on the presidential palace to demand higher pay, promotions or other policy concessions.—
John Joseph Chin,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outbreaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreaks. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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