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
Research there includes work on improving infant formula safety, food contamination from packaging, pathogen prevention in food manufacturing and produce, investigating the causes of illness outbreaks, and Grade A milk validation.
—
Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
Zweig recounts that, during the first spring of COVID, the Y.M.C.A. ran more than a thousand child-care sites for essential workers, serving about forty thousand kids, resulting in no known clusters or outbreaks.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2025
In the border regions of South Sudan and Ethiopia, there's a rampant cholera outbreak amid escalating violence.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
The illness is often associated with cruises, but those represent just 1% of all outbreaks reported.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
Zweig recounts that, during the first spring of COVID, the Y.M.C.A. ran more than a thousand child-care sites for essential workers, serving about forty thousand kids, resulting in no known clusters or outbreaks.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2025
In the border regions of South Sudan and Ethiopia, there's a rampant cholera outbreak amid escalating violence.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
The illness is often associated with cruises, but those represent just 1% of all outbreaks reported.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
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The news spread quickly, and the prospect of IDR payments doubling or tripling for some married borrowers led to a flurry of questions, distress on social media, and even talk of extreme measures.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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In a flurry of diplomatic developments over the weekend, Russia shunned the ceasefire proposal tabled by the U.S. and European leaders, but offered direct talks with Ukraine on Thursday.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2025
Noun
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History shows that conclaves have ranged from a matter of hours to nearly three years, shaped by intrigue, deadlock, and even popular revolt.—
Dan Cody,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 May 2025
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And then, the third attempt was to carry out the revolt, which again fails.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
5 May 2025
Noun
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The pair hoped to make progress against urea-cycle disorders – inherited metabolic problems, like KJ’s that leave young children vulnerable to bursts of damaging ammonia.—
Karen Weintraub,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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The 23-year-old has the raw materials to become a decent striker, including a decent burst of acceleration, but needs to play more to develop, which might not happen at Barca.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Noun
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Foreign funders of an insurrection interfered in our domestic affairs from the start.—
Rachel Marsden,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2025
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The charge of masterminding insurrection faced by the impeached leader is punishable by life imprisonment or even death, although South Korea has not executed anyone in decades.—
Joyce Lee,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For more than a year now, the sun has been in the opposite phase—the solar maximum—with a messy magnetic field, plenty of sunspots and regular outbursts.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
9 May 2025
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The Vikings’ nine-run outburst in the second inning was matched by the Caravan’s six-run fifth.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
Noun
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The historic exchange, centered on the 1971 Attica prison uprising, is now featured in the first episode of MSNBC’s new docuseries David Frost Vs. In a chilling twist, Lennon’s assassin would later be incarcerated at Attica for more than 30 years following the musician’s 1980 murder.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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When peasant rebellions appeared, they were crushed even in superficially democratic countries such as India, whose government violently suppressed the Naxalite uprisings in West Bengal.—
Nikil Saval,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Imagining Russia after Putin may seem too distant and abstract, especially after efforts to oust him failed—including, most prominently, the mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s 2023 mutiny.—
ALEXANDER GABUEV,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Apr. 2025
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How Online Rage Invaded a 151-Year-Old Intellectual Retreat Charges of antisemitism and liberal bias, and dismay over cuts to the opera budget, have led to a small mutiny at Chautauqua Institution.—
Christopher Maag,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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After leading some of his fellow players in an uprising against the games, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) sees his rebellion instantly squashed.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
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Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who is waiting for the weekend to join the rebellion.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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