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
Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, says the current outbreak shows what consequences of that narrower focus have been and why rarer Ebola species cannot be ignored.
—
Paul Adepoju, Scientific American, 14 June 2026
An outbreak of infant botulism tied to the formula brand ByHeart led to over 50 illnesses in 19 states.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 June 2026
Iran initially planned to train in Tucson, Arizona, before the war’s outbreak, but quickly moved to Baja California.
—ABC News, 14 June 2026
Visa processing in Africa has already been curtailed under the Trump administration with a travel ban on certain countries, a requirement for some applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000, and disruptions caused by the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
—Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Paul Adepoju, Scientific American, 14 June 2026
An outbreak of infant botulism tied to the formula brand ByHeart led to over 50 illnesses in 19 states.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 June 2026
Iran initially planned to train in Tucson, Arizona, before the war’s outbreak, but quickly moved to Baja California.
—ABC News, 14 June 2026
Visa processing in Africa has already been curtailed under the Trump administration with a travel ban on certain countries, a requirement for some applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000, and disruptions caused by the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
—Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
-
Brunson would not go quietly, using another flurry of points to cut the Spurs’ lead back down to six as the quarter neared the halfway point.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
That pronouncement set off a flurry of activity that saw reporters scrambling to post to social media channels, while still trying to listen to what Berry had to say.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Somewhere between the airport and the hotel, your gut stages a revolt.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
Reports of a Republican congressional revolt — like Mark Twain once famously said of a false newspaper report of his death — are greatly exaggerated.—
Carl P. Leubsdorf,
Twin Cities,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Two setups from Pulisic, playmaking in bursts on the left wing, beating three Paraguay defenders during one sprint.—
Filip Bondy,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
-
The actress said that the show was inspired by her love of discussing personal topics in short bursts.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 June 2026
Noun
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And Washington, of course, had nothing to do with instigating or inciting the insurrection.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Animals serve as allies, guides, objects of cruelty and aggression, and as striking metaphors for power, imperialism, and insurrection.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Brown, who entered the courtroom wearing a black and gray jumpsuit and orange shackles on his hands and feet, had multiple outbursts during the brief hearing Tuesday morning.—
Andy Buck,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
So count that inning as an outburst.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of NCRI-US, told Fox News Digital that the organization first became focused on stadium surveillance while tracking how Iranian authorities identified protesters during recent uprisings.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
For nearly eight years, the Ukrainian army—with the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion at the vanguard—tried to bludgeon the uprising into submission.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The seeds of mutiny are detectable.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
-
Within six months, Richards’ side of the group staged a mutiny, locked Diekmann in his apartment, and forced him to relinquish control.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
View gallery - 5 images There's a rebellion underway against the always-on, infinitely-scrollable nature of the smartphone.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 June 2026
-
Within weeks, the new hypernationalist government mounted an effort to suppress the Russian language in the Donbas, provoking a rebellion among ethnically Russian Ukrainians.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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