outbreaks

noun

plural of outbreak
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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 outbreaks Food poisoning outbreaks tend to be defined by one type of germ. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 This case in Pittsburgh comes as outbreaks spread in multiple states. — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 Jernigan said FoodNet provided data that ultimately aimed to better prepare for and prevent future outbreaks. — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026 In a question-and-answer part of the event, a staffer expressed concern about the agency’s ability to continue the high level of detailed work necessary to address ongoing outbreaks such as measles and Ebola following a massive reduction in force. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 19 Aug. 2026 Preventing outbreaks Bin and lot numbers are crucial identifiers that let investigators, manufacturers, stores and customers trace a problem back to a particular batch of products. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026 Federal and state health leaders strengthened those policies based on lessons learned from measles outbreaks. — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreaks
  1. flurries
  2. insurrections
  3. bursts
  4. revolts
  5. outbursts
  6. uprisings
  7. rebellions
  8. mutinies
Noun
  • The past 14 years have included some flurries of diplomatic contact between Iran and the West.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • There is even a remote possibility for a few flurries in the highest peaks of the Sierra on Saturday and Sunday nights with temps briefly below freezing.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of flurries
Noun
  • There were rebellions, insurrections and an Appian Way lined with crucifixions.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
  • But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.
    — Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Definition of insurrections
Noun
  • 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
Definition of bursts
Noun
  • Donor revolts—growing widespread skepticism toward higher education.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The Chumash rebelled in 1824, the latest in a chain of Native Californian revolts against the friars.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 July 2026
Definition of revolts
Noun
  • The outbursts helped relieve some pressure, but Nakashima tightened up as the prospect of making his first Masters 1000 final neared.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The McKinney City Council voted late Wednesday night to approve a site plan for a new mosque after a marathon meeting marked by outbursts and hours of public comment.
    — Trevor Sochocki, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of outbursts
Noun
  • For a brief moment during the 2010–11 Arab uprisings, the drive for change seemed unstoppable, but otherwise the arrangement worked.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Set against a backdrop of turbulent transition as the Middle Ages move into modernity, the film follows the three men on their long and arduous journey, across a Europe ravaged by wars and uprisings, to Versailles.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 28 July 2026
Definition of uprisings
Noun
  • In several instances these rituals were utilized during slave rebellions; the New York slave rebellion of 1712 reportedly began with a pact sealed in blood and powder, a practice with African religious parallels.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • That history includes colonial-era rebellions, using drones to monitor land invasions for legal ecological complaints, and protests against new or proposed laws.
    — Chenier Carpio Opua, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebellions
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
Definition of mutinies

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Cite this Entry

“Outbreaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreaks. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of outbreaks for Spanish Speakers

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