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
This unfolded at a time when police and medical personnel were not prepared for rapid responses to such large-scale outbreaks of violence.
—
Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
That storm, among the first outbreaks of severe weather on the verge of the spring storm season, was filmed by a camera mounted on the deputy’s car.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026
Yet in the face of these outbreaks, top officials have offered wildly contradictory advice that has sowed further confusion among ordinary Americans.
—Jerome Adams, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Camp Pendleton suffered two Giardiasis outbreaks.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
That storm, among the first outbreaks of severe weather on the verge of the spring storm season, was filmed by a camera mounted on the deputy’s car.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026
Yet in the face of these outbreaks, top officials have offered wildly contradictory advice that has sowed further confusion among ordinary Americans.
—Jerome Adams, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Camp Pendleton suffered two Giardiasis outbreaks.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
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Last year saw a flurry of legislation in Congress that would do anything from permanently implementing the time (the Sunshine Protection Act) to multiple bills that would allow states to choose for themselves (Hawaii and Arizona have already opted for year-round standard time).—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Investing for the long run A flurry of deals at the end of 2025 saw Alphabet, Oracle, and Meta sell more than $70 billion in bonds over the course of weeks.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The 2025 protests against corruption and poor governance were triggered by a social media ban before snowballing into a popular revolt against the government.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
According to Axios, a number of X users threatened a Boston Tea Party–style revolt, should the government try to take away their coffees.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Andrew Baker, a coral scientist at the University of Miami, said a big burst of federal investment in coral restoration could benefit Florida's reefs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Gajjar and Brown calibrated how fluctuations in the solar wind and bursts from CMEs can affect narrowband signals, and averaged that over time.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Presiding judge Ji Gwi-yeon ruled Yoon’s deployment of troops to parliament and attempt to arrest political opponents, including current President Lee Jae Myung, who was then head of the opposition, were acts of insurrection.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
News of the concert comes on the heels of a tumultuous few years for Ye, once a titan of the genre, who has since become better known for public outbursts on social media deriding both Jewish and Black people.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
At age 2, children may have frequent tantrums that parents will have to mediate for them–responding with self-control and support instead of frustration and an outburst of their own.—
Taylor Grothe,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the early days of the Syrian uprising, Daham Alasaad was working as a tour guide in his native Palmyra, leading a group through the ruins of the ancient city.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
-
For now, though, an uprising seems unlikely.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That mobility occasionally allowed for communication and coordination during mutinies.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
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After Thomas Hickey was hanged that year for mutiny, sedition and treachery, Washington warned that his fate should serve as a caution to all soldiers.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
We were labeled as ‘frat rock’ by more than one magazine, but that in itself was almost a rebellion against the homogenization of what was then grunge.—
Josh Crutchmer,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Punk has always been about rebellion and rejecting the status quo.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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