outbreak

noun

ˈau̇t-ˌbrāk How to pronounce outbreak (audio)
Definition of outbreaknext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of outbreak Perhaps a famine, an outbreak of disease, or social upheaval? — Mike McRae 25, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026 Measles cases have surged in Maryland, with state leaders confirming 14 new cases this week and outbreaks in three counties. — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 One potential outcome is having less ability to monitor and control an existing outbreak, Hamilton says. — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 26 Aug. 2026 Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum celebrated the reopening on Monday morning, and her administration outlined precautions to beat back the outbreak. — Abraham Tellez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
  1. flurry
  2. revolt
  3. burst
  4. insurrection
  5. outburst
  6. uprising
  7. mutiny
  8. rebellion
Noun
  • However, this flurry of spy satellite development was short-lived.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But over the next two decades, the singer would reiterate her legacy as an unstoppable force with a flurry of world tours, studio albums, film projects, corporate partnerships, and books.
    — Stephen L. Betts, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of flurry
Noun
  • His experiences span the years leading up to and after the revolt of 1857.
    — Aishwarya Lakshmi, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Democratic primaries have been shaped by a progressive revolt against the party establishment.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of revolt
Noun
  • The burst and ability to create separation jumped out, as did his calm and composed finish, all at seemingly peak speed.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.
    — Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of burst
Noun
  • As Port falls in with a group of conspirators preparing for the insurrection, the book takes on a hallucinatory, digressive quality, blurring the lines between life and death, reality and illusion.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Stephen Colbert’s award-winning Late Show was canceled in a move that many have labeled political appeasement, and the flagship evening newscast baselessly recast the January 6 insurrection as a partisan squabble.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of insurrection
Noun
  • At least that bad-optics outburst, while insubordinate, had something noble at its basis.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This woman reportedly had already been receiving unwanted and threatening messages, and investigators concluded that Zhou’s AI conversations showed something more than a momentary angry outburst.
    — Matthew T. Christ, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of outburst
Noun
  • That summer, Detroit was paralyzed by a violent uprising, which erupted after the city’s predominantly white police force raided a night club in a Black neighborhood.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • And much of that goes back to a 1989 uprising and crackdown known as El Caracazo.
    — Tibisay Zea, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of uprising
Noun
  • Critics wanted to throw a mutiny at the theater while watching the movie with a 48% Rotten Tomatoes grade.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • At the start of the summer, Infantino seemed untouchable but there is a mood of mutiny in the air.
    — Simon Hughes, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of mutiny
Noun
  • During the Sengoku period, clan leader Isshin Ashina leads a successful rebellion against the rulers to secure Ashina’s independence.
    — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • According to a recent paper by the French Institute of International Relations, the SAF and its supporters claim to be putting down an armed rebellion as Sudan’s legitimate government.
    — Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebellion

Browse Nearby Words

outbraving
outbreak
outbreaks
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Cite this Entry

“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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