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 are preventable measles outbreaks in the US.
—
Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
In contrast, egg prices have dropped sharply following a period of unprecedented highs caused largely by bird flu outbreaks.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Other nonprofits like Global Witness linked Facebook's past moderation failures to outbreaks of ethnic violence in Ethiopia in 2020.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2026
The affected cheeses have yet to be removed from the market as Raw Farm, which has been attached to multiple high-profile outbreaks, has declined the FDA's request to recall its products, the agency said.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Six years ago, Florida schools and beaches closed, cruise ships reported their first COVID outbreaks, and shoppers scrambled to get whatever toilet paper remained on the shelves.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
While researchers have estimated that 95% of people with inhalation anthrax die, this is based on historical outbreaks when patients often did not have timely diagnosis or treatment.
—Hannah Kinzer, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Former detainees have told the AP that the conditions are dire, describing beatings, severe overcrowding, insufficient medical care, scabies outbreaks and poor sanitary conditions.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
Knowing where to look As measles cases grow nationwide, other states with outbreaks have sent out timely status updates and regularly made leaders available for questions.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
In contrast, egg prices have dropped sharply following a period of unprecedented highs caused largely by bird flu outbreaks.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Other nonprofits like Global Witness linked Facebook's past moderation failures to outbreaks of ethnic violence in Ethiopia in 2020.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2026
The affected cheeses have yet to be removed from the market as Raw Farm, which has been attached to multiple high-profile outbreaks, has declined the FDA's request to recall its products, the agency said.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Six years ago, Florida schools and beaches closed, cruise ships reported their first COVID outbreaks, and shoppers scrambled to get whatever toilet paper remained on the shelves.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
While researchers have estimated that 95% of people with inhalation anthrax die, this is based on historical outbreaks when patients often did not have timely diagnosis or treatment.
—Hannah Kinzer, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Former detainees have told the AP that the conditions are dire, describing beatings, severe overcrowding, insufficient medical care, scabies outbreaks and poor sanitary conditions.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
Knowing where to look As measles cases grow nationwide, other states with outbreaks have sent out timely status updates and regularly made leaders available for questions.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreaks
Noun
-
Curry magic, Curry flurries, Curry bringing an arena to its feet.—
Sports Columnist,
San Francisco Chronicle,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The light snow flurries in the Tahoe area this week after a spell of record-setting March heatwaves across California were not enough to reverse the damage.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
-
Videos recorded by passengers show sparks and bursts of flame coming from the engine, lighting up the night sky as the aircraft gained altitude.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Poison frontman, evoking the regional dialect of his native Pittsburgh, bursts with adrenaline on a typical day.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After enduring a series of mini-revolts from fans criticizing last spring’s casting announcement and December’s first-look trailer, Survivor 50 has gotten off to an encouraging start.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Almost immediately Rome was plunged into a series of wars, revolts, and plagues.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Backlash was immediate given the rapper’s history of antisemitic outbursts.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Right now, the sun is finally moving out of several years of solar maximum—but as this week’s outbursts show, our star is not yet quiet.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Arab Spring uprisings of 2011-12 owe much of their origin to a youth bulge in the Middle East.—
John Rennie Short,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But like many political uprisings, the meaning of No Kings varies from protester to protester.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There were rebellions, insurrections and an Appian Way lined with crucifixions.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
By the 19th century China, under the Qing dynasty, had become weakened by internal rebellions, fiscal strain, and the aftermath of the Opium Wars, which exposed its inability to counter the industrialized military methods of the Western imperial powers.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Mar. 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 6 Apr. 2026.
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