OUTBURSTS Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

outbursts

noun

plural of outburst

as in bursts

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling the judge directed the courtroom spectators to refrain from any outbursts when the verdict was read

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in flurries

a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity there was a remarkable outburst of work in the office as the visiting VIPs made their tour

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in eruptions

the act or an instance of exploding in the outburst known as a supernova, the star may reach an intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

implosions

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 outbursts Cronin has received his share – more than his share, actually – of negative fan reaction for his frequent outbursts at players. —

Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026 Still, wanting to be a team player, Anthony is warm, friendly, and offers an encouraging word to the future CEO — despite Dougie’s obvious nerves and his random outbursts in Jamaican Patois. —

Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026 Similar scoring outbursts from the Case Western Reserve recruit were not forthcoming, of course. —

Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026 This undersells the singular malignance of her outbursts, which drove away Black and white allies alike. —

Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026 The family noted mood changes, including outbursts of anger. —

Jose Abisambra, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026 In the superb production of the solo play Every Brilliant Thing opening tonight on Broadway, the unstoppable Daniel Radcliffe plays the troubled but tenacious son of a woman whose long stretches of bedridden depression are broken only by her frequent outbursts of self-harm. —

Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026 There were also two separate instances of people being escorted out of the courtroom during the hearing after outbursts were heard from the audience gallery. —

Paula Wethington, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026 But recent outbursts of dissent in some regions including Tibet and Xinjiang prompted Beijing to crack down. —

Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbursts

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