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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in revolt
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 outbreak
Pastor Timothy Miller said that while Sarasota’s Mennonites are less culturally isolated than the Mennonite community in West Texas, site of a measles outbreak in January, many in his community also shun vaccination.
—
Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Canada has likely already passed that milestone; the country has seen a single outbreak of more than 5,100 measles cases since October 2024, according to its health data.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2025
Two additional deaths have been reported in a listeria outbreak linked to recalled ready-to-eat pasta salads and prepared meals sold at major grocery chains, including Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Kroger, and Walmart, health officials said Thursday.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Two more people have died and seven others have fallen ill in a growing outbreak of listeria infections linked to recalled ready-to-eat pasta meals sold nationwide at major grocery chains including Walmart and Trader Joe’s, federal health officials said Thursday.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Canada has likely already passed that milestone; the country has seen a single outbreak of more than 5,100 measles cases since October 2024, according to its health data.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2025
Two additional deaths have been reported in a listeria outbreak linked to recalled ready-to-eat pasta salads and prepared meals sold at major grocery chains, including Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, Kroger, and Walmart, health officials said Thursday.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Two more people have died and seven others have fallen ill in a growing outbreak of listeria infections linked to recalled ready-to-eat pasta meals sold nationwide at major grocery chains including Walmart and Trader Joe’s, federal health officials said Thursday.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
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The 50-year mortgage proposal came amid a flurry of posts from Pulte, a member of one of America’s most prominent homebuilding families, who was fresh off a Friday appearance at ResiDay, a residential real estate conference hosted by ResiClub.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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Prospect Avenue was renamed Hollywood Boulevard, and a flurry of tony hotels, palatial theaters and glitzy boutiques opened along the stretch between Vine Street and Highland Avenue.—
Oren Peleg,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Critiques from the American right, which lament the film’s timely depictions of a police state, immigrant internment camps and leftist revolt, read like ChatGPT essays programmed to write in the voice of Karen.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
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The film, which is Palestine’s entry for the Best International Feature category of the Oscars, tells the story of the Arab revolt against British colonial rule in Palestine in the 1930s.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Despite the generally mild outlook, meteorologists are watching key atmospheric factors that could create bursts of intense snow, like expected next week when an early-season lake-effect snow is expected to impact the Great Lakes.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Comedian and actress Atsuko Okatsuka opened the ceremony with a burst of laughter and energy.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Wars and insurrections have afflicted other parts of the Middle East, but Baghdad—a city whose name was once synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian murder—has been spared.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
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This is not Lozano’s first brush with insurrection.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
These outbursts send radiation and charged particles hurling into space and can disrupt communications on Earth if the flare erupts from an Earth-facing sunspot.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
This outburst was mysterious at the time and remains mysterious.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Midterm elections will see congressional battlegrounds in states where fast-rising electric bills or data center hotspots — or both — are fomenting community uprisings.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
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Altogether more than 1,000 Israelis were killed in those uprisings, along with many times that number of Palestinians.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Half-time was looming, empty white seats were dotted around the London Stadium but if mutiny had been expected, it had been supplanted, (at least temporarily), by general bemusement.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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In 2023, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin staged a brief mutiny, sending his fighters toward Moscow before abruptly standing down only to die weeks later in a plane crash.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While details of Gatwa’s character are not yet known, Erivo’s Jayne is described as a trailblazing fairy whose defiant streak sparks a rebellion.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
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From its beginning, the leaders of the rebellion well understood the global reach and resonance of their great struggle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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