1
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
2
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
3
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outbursts
Last year, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched an air travel civility campaign, noting that the FAA had seen a 400% increase of in-flight outbursts since 2019 and 13,800 unruly passenger incidents since 2021.
—
ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
With 2026 aligning with the roughly 80-year rhythm of past outbursts, however, astronomers have shifted some attention to late June.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
However, Robbie’s performance keeps Cathy’s childish nature intact with many obsessive outbursts.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
For his courtroom outbursts, Davis found Thompson in contempt of court and added a little more than four and a half years to his sentence.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
An audience member was removed at one point for outbursts during remarks by commissioner Carrie Prejean, who rejected notions that anti-Zionism equates to antisemitism.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Ye’s recent outbursts coincide with a rise in antisemitism across the US; the Anti-Defamation League has reported a 344 percent rise in attacks against Jewish people between 2019 and 2024.
—Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
Cristian Romero’s outbursts about the running of Tottenham Hotspur are becoming problematically regular.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2026
The dramatic close-up image below captures the immense sunspot region responsible for this week's outbursts.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
With 2026 aligning with the roughly 80-year rhythm of past outbursts, however, astronomers have shifted some attention to late June.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
However, Robbie’s performance keeps Cathy’s childish nature intact with many obsessive outbursts.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
For his courtroom outbursts, Davis found Thompson in contempt of court and added a little more than four and a half years to his sentence.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
An audience member was removed at one point for outbursts during remarks by commissioner Carrie Prejean, who rejected notions that anti-Zionism equates to antisemitism.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Ye’s recent outbursts coincide with a rise in antisemitism across the US; the Anti-Defamation League has reported a 344 percent rise in attacks against Jewish people between 2019 and 2024.
—Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
Cristian Romero’s outbursts about the running of Tottenham Hotspur are becoming problematically regular.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2026
The dramatic close-up image below captures the immense sunspot region responsible for this week's outbursts.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbursts
Noun
-
The storms that pummeled Southern California this week brought dramatic wind gusts, bursts of rain and lightning that set trees on fire, not to mention heavy snow.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Curlers need an intense training regimen, dedicated to sustaining them through short bursts of cardiovascular exercise (sweeping) and keeping their legs flexible and strong to support the deep lunge position adopted when hurling the stone.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Some lingering light flurries will taper off through the day, but another system is expected to move through in the evening.—
Aki Nace,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Snow flurries are blowing at an angle, the sky is a leaden grey, and visibility is poor.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Serpell observes that even Pecola thrills to eruptions of beauty on a familiar rundown street that otherwise go unseen.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Black carbon has increased in recent decades with more ship traffic in the Arctic, and nearby Iceland has periodic volcanic eruptions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ukrainian officials said powerful explosions and secondary detonations were recorded at the site, while the extent of damage was still being assessed.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But these explosions do not trigger a nuclear chain reaction.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The robots were able to self-organize and divide tasks on their own, including splitting into teams to tackle separate fire outbreaks.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
-
In fact, no additional outbreaks of severe to extreme cold are expected for the rest of the winter, according to AccuWeather long-range experts.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Heathcliff arrives too late to say goodbye, and tearfully cradles her dead body as a montage of their passionate romance flashes across the screen.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The Bulls failed in their attempt to construct a team around veterans through free agency and trades, briefly showing flashes of promise in the 2021-22 season before crashing back to earth.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The first half, which ended in a 34-34 tie was full of spurts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Understand Growth Spurts and Developmental Timing Recognize that children grow in spurts, especially during puberty.—
William Jones,
Ascend Agency,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Falling temperatures and gusty winds will occur behind the boundary with gusts upwards of 40 to 50 mph through the evening.—
Trey Fulbright,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outbursts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbursts. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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