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
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
The ongoing Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reminds us that important gaps remain.
—
Krutika Kuppalli,
STAT,
26 June 2026
According to the World Health Organization, the outbreak is believed to have originated there, although this has not yet been confirmed.
—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
25 June 2026
The rest of the funding covers various other unrelated programs, including $550 million to address the ongoing spread of Ebola in Africa and $800 million for the humanitarian crisis linked to the outbreak.
—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
This is the second outbreak of infant botulism linked to baby formula, going back to last year when ByHeart Infant Formula was linked to at least 50 cases across the country.
—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Krutika Kuppalli,
STAT,
26 June 2026
According to the World Health Organization, the outbreak is believed to have originated there, although this has not yet been confirmed.
—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
25 June 2026
The rest of the funding covers various other unrelated programs, including $550 million to address the ongoing spread of Ebola in Africa and $800 million for the humanitarian crisis linked to the outbreak.
—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
This is the second outbreak of infant botulism linked to baby formula, going back to last year when ByHeart Infant Formula was linked to at least 50 cases across the country.
—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
-
Minasian’s flurry of moves before and after the 2023 trade deadline seemed chaotic.
-
Off a fantastic pass from Kylian Mbappé from the opposite side of the pitch, Ousmane Dembélé unleashed a quick flurry of dribble moves into the right side of the box before burying a goal.
Noun
-
Soon, this kind of spirit will carry the 13 colonies to protest, revolt and win the American Revolution.
-
The rebellion was the first major popular revolt in England’s North American colonies and reflected tensions over frontier settlement, relations with Native Americans, political authority, and access to land.
Noun
-
San Francisco real estate agent Butch Haze of Compass has seen tech booms followed by ravenous bursts of homebuying since the first internet gold rush of the late 1990s.
-
True to its name, Swift is designed to pivot quickly to capture late-breaking astronomical events such as gamma ray bursts and exploding stars.
Noun
-
Egyptian army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi led the insurrection after weeks of widespread national protests.
-
Penn, known for his strong political convictions, previously attended a public hearing of the House select committee investigating the deadly 2021 insurrection.
Noun
-
Bryson Stott's three-run homer highlighted Philadelphia's eight-run outburst in the ninth inning and the Phillies rallied to beat the Washington Nationals 14-9 on Tuesday night.
-
The symptoms often look different in dads—anger or sudden outbursts, irritability and substance misuse, for example.
Noun
-
There’s a sketch centered on one of David’s characters not being invited to the Boston Tea Party, as if the rebellious uprising was just another dinner party.
-
More recent scholarship has emphasized the complexity of the uprising.
Noun
-
The seeds of mutiny are detectable.
-
Within six months, Richards’ side of the group staged a mutiny, locked Diekmann in his apartment, and forced him to relinquish control.
Noun
-
The Battle of the Alamo was one of the most monumental conflicts of the Texas Revolution, a rebellion that ended in Texas becoming independent from Mexico and establishing itself as a republic for nearly a decade before US statehood.
-
In the press release for the album, you were quoted using the word rebellion when talking about rock and roll.
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
