1
as in flurries
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 insurrections
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 outbreaks
There are preventable measles outbreaks in the US.
—
Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
In contrast, egg prices have dropped sharply following a period of unprecedented highs caused largely by bird flu outbreaks.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Other nonprofits like Global Witness linked Facebook's past moderation failures to outbreaks of ethnic violence in Ethiopia in 2020.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2026
The affected cheeses have yet to be removed from the market as Raw Farm, which has been attached to multiple high-profile outbreaks, has declined the FDA's request to recall its products, the agency said.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Six years ago, Florida schools and beaches closed, cruise ships reported their first COVID outbreaks, and shoppers scrambled to get whatever toilet paper remained on the shelves.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
While researchers have estimated that 95% of people with inhalation anthrax die, this is based on historical outbreaks when patients often did not have timely diagnosis or treatment.
—Hannah Kinzer, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Former detainees have told the AP that the conditions are dire, describing beatings, severe overcrowding, insufficient medical care, scabies outbreaks and poor sanitary conditions.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
Knowing where to look As measles cases grow nationwide, other states with outbreaks have sent out timely status updates and regularly made leaders available for questions.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
In contrast, egg prices have dropped sharply following a period of unprecedented highs caused largely by bird flu outbreaks.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Other nonprofits like Global Witness linked Facebook's past moderation failures to outbreaks of ethnic violence in Ethiopia in 2020.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2026
The affected cheeses have yet to be removed from the market as Raw Farm, which has been attached to multiple high-profile outbreaks, has declined the FDA's request to recall its products, the agency said.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Six years ago, Florida schools and beaches closed, cruise ships reported their first COVID outbreaks, and shoppers scrambled to get whatever toilet paper remained on the shelves.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
While researchers have estimated that 95% of people with inhalation anthrax die, this is based on historical outbreaks when patients often did not have timely diagnosis or treatment.
—Hannah Kinzer, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Former detainees have told the AP that the conditions are dire, describing beatings, severe overcrowding, insufficient medical care, scabies outbreaks and poor sanitary conditions.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
Knowing where to look As measles cases grow nationwide, other states with outbreaks have sent out timely status updates and regularly made leaders available for questions.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreaks
Noun
-
Light snow flurries were falling.—
Jack Perry,
The Providence Journal,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Neither that, nor Monday’s snow flurries, stopped Jennifer Hall and her family from making their own Magic City hoodies and proudly wearing them to the game at State Farm Arena.—
DeAsia Paige,
AJC.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There were rebellions, insurrections and an Appian Way lined with crucifixions.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Sperm whales communicate via bursts of clicks, called codas, and the researchers—part of a project called the Cetacean Translation Initiative, or CETI—are hoping one day to decipher what the codas mean.—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2026
-
And Falkous, for all that his bursts of mad atonality hit the ear first, knows precisely where to hammer in every syllable for the maximum impact.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Continue reading … THINK AGAIN — New 'microgeneration' of students revolts against 'cringy' campus wokeness.—
,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The royal government was also known as a dictatorship for banning political parties, suppressing revolts and political opposition, controlling the press and having its own secret police force called SAVAK.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Backlash was immediate given the rapper’s history of antisemitic outbursts.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Right now, the sun is finally moving out of several years of solar maximum—but as this week’s outbursts show, our star is not yet quiet.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These concerns intensified after the Arab Spring uprisings and escalated with the rise of militant organizations such as the Islamic State group.—
Candace Lukasik,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Cuba supported uprisings in Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, the Congo, and elsewhere.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There were rebellions, insurrections and an Appian Way lined with crucifixions.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The legislation excludes people accused of involvement in military rebellions or coups, as well as those charged with serious crimes such as human-rights violations, intentional homicide, drug trafficking and corruption.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That mobility occasionally allowed for communication and coordination during mutinies.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
-
This includes leader assassination attempts by political opponents or lone wolves or mutinies by disgruntled soldiers who might even march on the presidential palace to demand higher pay, promotions or other policy concessions.—
John Joseph Chin,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outbreaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreaks. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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