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
The country has a chronic malnutrition problem and ongoing outbreaks of cholera, measles and polio, says Marc Schakal, the program manager for Doctors without Borders.
—
Fatma Tanis, NPR, 6 Apr. 2026
Drops in vaccinations have already contributed to the rapid resurgence of measles outbreaks across the country.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
According to the county Department of Public Health, cases have been reported countywide, but localized outbreaks were confirmed in the Los Angeles Central City area, Santa Monica and Willowbrook.
—City News Service, Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
New Era, a 200-bed facility, has had recurring outbreaks of Legionella, the bacteria that grow within water and air conditioning systems and can cause Legionnaires’ Disease, records show.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Society benefits because infectious disease outbreaks are less likely to occur when individuals are vaccinated.
—Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Occasional outbreaks of scales may occur.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Research has found that countries with more than 60% of their population under 30 are four times more likely to experience outbreaks of civil conflict.
—John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
However, Wall warns, warns the current outbreaks may not be as easily controlled, as the sterile insect technique works best on isolated populations.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Fatma Tanis, NPR, 6 Apr. 2026
Drops in vaccinations have already contributed to the rapid resurgence of measles outbreaks across the country.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
According to the county Department of Public Health, cases have been reported countywide, but localized outbreaks were confirmed in the Los Angeles Central City area, Santa Monica and Willowbrook.
—City News Service, Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
New Era, a 200-bed facility, has had recurring outbreaks of Legionella, the bacteria that grow within water and air conditioning systems and can cause Legionnaires’ Disease, records show.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Society benefits because infectious disease outbreaks are less likely to occur when individuals are vaccinated.
—Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Occasional outbreaks of scales may occur.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Research has found that countries with more than 60% of their population under 30 are four times more likely to experience outbreaks of civil conflict.
—John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
However, Wall warns, warns the current outbreaks may not be as easily controlled, as the sterile insect technique works best on isolated populations.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 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
-
The American Beauty rose is a climbing rose that adds bursts of color to your fence.—
Claudia Guthrie,
The Spruce,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The first of these—a cult favorite among writers, particularly youngish women writers—put Lemann on the map as a singular stylist, capable of crystalline insights into the miscreants and oddballs of the American South and great bursts of unrestrained sentiment.—
Brandy Jensen,
New Yorker,
8 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
-
Trump’s outbursts bespoke the frustration of a thoroughly incompetent ruler who began a war with no plan for how to conduct or conclude it and was unprepared for Iran’s resistance.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
-
It’s been nearly two months since the BAFTA Film Awards were upended by a series of profoundly upsetting outbursts during the February ceremony.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 2020, during the George Floyd uprisings, Seattle became one of the country’s most volatile flashpoints.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
-
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
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 13 Apr. 2026.
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