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
Kindergarten vaccination rates against measles was 82% at the epicenter of the outbreak, well below the 95% needed to achieve herd immunity and prevent measles from spreading.
—
Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Though a spike is expected during peak season, experts say the intensity of the outbreak and the percentage of mosquitoes testing positive for the virus is unusual.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2025
When an outbreak hits, seasoned leaders are needed to work across agencies, coordinate with state and local health officials, field calls from governors and foreign ministries of health, and communicate with the public.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 14 Sep. 2025
Preceding the outbreak of hostilities, both Ukraine and Russia obtained these types of drones.
—Joseph Nepomuceno, The Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Though a spike is expected during peak season, experts say the intensity of the outbreak and the percentage of mosquitoes testing positive for the virus is unusual.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2025
When an outbreak hits, seasoned leaders are needed to work across agencies, coordinate with state and local health officials, field calls from governors and foreign ministries of health, and communicate with the public.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 14 Sep. 2025
Preceding the outbreak of hostilities, both Ukraine and Russia obtained these types of drones.
—Joseph Nepomuceno, The Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
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Advertisement The flurry of updates came three days after Robinson was arrested following an intensive hunt for Kirk's killer.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The flurry of summer comes to an end and routine returns.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Cracker Barrel was in the early stages of a major turnaround plan before its new logo and restaurant remodels ran into a right-wing revolt.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The British eventually adopted harsh measures to end the revolt.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As the sun sets, diners dig into burgers dressed up like banh mi, with pickled daikon, rich duck liver mousse, and a burst of cilantro.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
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Set in the country's highlands, La Ruta de Las Flores is a scenic drive that connects several villages, and bursts to life when the coffee fields lining it come into full bloom.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Five people died and 140 police officers were injured before the insurrection was quelled.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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At a time when contentious words dominate our conversations—think insurrection and fascism and fake news and woke—the need for dictionaries to chronicle and explain language, and serve as its watchdog, has never been greater.—
Stefan Fatsis,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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With his natural charisma and naked emotion, Thug and Big Bank go all the way back to rapper’s childhood traumas (his apartment complex burning down, his older brother dying in front of him) to try to get to the bottom of his emotional outbursts.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
11 Sep. 2025
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This brightening coincides with the system having an outburst.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In Budapest, after the uprising against the Communist regime, Andor — raised by his mother with idealized tales of his dead father — has his world turned upside down when a brutish man appears, claiming to be his true father.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
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While Fonseca frames the uprising as a type of emergent phenomenon in his post and a YouTube video, examination of the source code by AI researcher Simon Willison shows that Fonseca specifically instructed the villagers to behave this way and even escalate the unrest over time.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Vance is fresh off a stay in the English countryside, where the staff of popular pub The Bull in Charlbury allegedly threatened a mutiny if they were forced to serve the staunch conservative.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
15 Aug. 2025
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So no red eyes, no space mutinies — just words, structured to be helpful.—
Chris Reed,
Oc Register,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Kirk's assassination is the most high-profile example yet of what extremism researchers at the NCRI see as an increasingly dangerous normalization of political violence—often masked as satire, rebellion, or dark humor online.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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One accommodation, the Rebel Suite, takes its design cues from the sea rebellions of Islay, full of nautical references, striking patterns, and bold green and blue hues.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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