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
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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
Livestock breeders, who have seen their flocks decimated by mass culls due to an outbreak of sheep and goat pox, have joined the protests, which began in November.
—
ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
The swabs taken by the pediatrician test positive for measles, and your child’s case becomes a data point in an outbreak.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
With a measles outbreak in a county in Pennsylvania, health experts want to send a message to families.
—Lauren Linder, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
The film also draws major inspiration from the Rock Springs Massacre of 1885, a notorious outbreak of anti-Chinese violence in the American West, in which at least 28 Chinese coal miners were killed by their white counterparts.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
The swabs taken by the pediatrician test positive for measles, and your child’s case becomes a data point in an outbreak.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
With a measles outbreak in a county in Pennsylvania, health experts want to send a message to families.
—Lauren Linder, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
The film also draws major inspiration from the Rock Springs Massacre of 1885, a notorious outbreak of anti-Chinese violence in the American West, in which at least 28 Chinese coal miners were killed by their white counterparts.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
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Her voice is intimate and resonant, whether cut up into indistinct background flurries or pushed to the front of the mix.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
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The idea has spawned a flurry of products which are helping their customers resist the temptation of automatically picking up their phone and scrolling social media during any and every lull in the day.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Continue reading … THINK AGAIN — New 'microgeneration' of students revolts against 'cringy' campus wokeness.—
,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Outlets including the Wrap and Hollywood Reporter have reported that top agents including Duffy McSwiggin and Marty Diamond, who represent Joni Mitchell and Coldplay, among others, have led a staff revolt demanding Wasserman leave or sell the firm.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There has been some speculation that Lagrange’s future could be as a reliever, which would let his electric arsenal play up in bursts.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
15 Feb. 2026
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Consistency triumphs over bursts of brilliance.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Enter Sun Ra, brimming with eccentric insurrection, claiming his music’s power to topple walls.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
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Americans have been skeptical of brown-skinned people since the days of the Alamo, always fearful Latinos are one step away from insurrection and thus must always be subjugated.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The next day, standing below the balcony of the Lorraine Motel where the team was staying in Memphis, King yelled down at Jackson in joviality, as if to mitigate the outburst, inviting him to dinner.—
Johanna Neuman,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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Tyra Banks finally responded to her now-viral outburst against America's Next Top Model contestant Tiffany Richardson in a new documentary looking back at the show.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But to head off another mass uprising, the Islamic Republic's leadership knows the best option would be to get sanctions lifted so Iranians can afford food and fuel again.—
Mariia Kashchenko,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Rahman’s main rival, the Bangladesh Awami League party headed by Hasina — who was ousted in the 2024 mass uprising — was banned from the race.—
Julhas Alam,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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So this protest, this mutiny is really more about the primary dance.—
Alex Suskind,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
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Alekseyev, 64, played a prominent role during the mutiny by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in the summer of 2023.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And last week, former interior minister Lee Sang-min was sentenced to seven years in prison for participating in a rebellion.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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South Korea’s Justice Ministry bans Yoon from traveling overseas as police, prosecutors and an anti-corruption agency expand competing investigations into allegations of rebellion and other charges.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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