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
At 11 years old, after a series of violent outbursts, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
—
Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
As a high-functioning alcoholic whose outbursts manifest as a kaiju on the other side of the world, Hathaway delivers one of her most limber performances in the darkly comic Colossal.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
The two have an enmity that goes back more than four decades, with outbursts of fighting or outright war punctuated by periods of tense calm.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Before the emotional outbursts at the meeting Thursday, Kinnear-Rausch, Little and Williams all expressed their heartbreak over the death of Jaxon and pledged to fix problems that led to the tragedy.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
But, unexpectedly, its film version released that same year became a midnight movie phenom, marked by its impromptu audience outbursts and eventually becoming a counter-culture landmark, widening the generational divide even further.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
This time, there wasn’t nearly as long of a gap between scoring outbursts.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
Director Matt Pfeiffer tries not to tie it too strongly to an extreme light or dark mood but does keep up a snappy pace, plays most of the angriest outbursts for laughs and takes good advantage of the openness of the Playhouse on Park stage area.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
The Lyrids can sometimes produce surges of up to 100 meteors per hour, but Lunsford says with about a 60-year period between these particularly active outbursts the next one isn’t expected until 2040.
—Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
As a high-functioning alcoholic whose outbursts manifest as a kaiju on the other side of the world, Hathaway delivers one of her most limber performances in the darkly comic Colossal.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
The two have an enmity that goes back more than four decades, with outbursts of fighting or outright war punctuated by periods of tense calm.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Before the emotional outbursts at the meeting Thursday, Kinnear-Rausch, Little and Williams all expressed their heartbreak over the death of Jaxon and pledged to fix problems that led to the tragedy.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
But, unexpectedly, its film version released that same year became a midnight movie phenom, marked by its impromptu audience outbursts and eventually becoming a counter-culture landmark, widening the generational divide even further.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
This time, there wasn’t nearly as long of a gap between scoring outbursts.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
Director Matt Pfeiffer tries not to tie it too strongly to an extreme light or dark mood but does keep up a snappy pace, plays most of the angriest outbursts for laughs and takes good advantage of the openness of the Playhouse on Park stage area.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
The Lyrids can sometimes produce surges of up to 100 meteors per hour, but Lunsford says with about a 60-year period between these particularly active outbursts the next one isn’t expected until 2040.
—Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbursts
Noun
-
Kay describes the aesthetic of the record in bursts.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Sycamore’s story is told in short bursts that immerse the reader into the present moment, creating a sense of urgency in the exploration of self, art, and family.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The latest flurries that dusted parts of the Sierra Nevada this week are unlikely to do much to ease California’s snow drought.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
As the rain and snow fall, flurries can melt, mix together and refreeze just before hitting the ground, according to Jackson Macfarlane, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Boise office.—
Hali Smith
April 14,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The eruptions – yours, the partner’s – suggest that there’s a lot that’s been simmering underneath your interactions.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The eruptions — yours, the partner’s — suggest that there’s a lot that’s been simmering underneath your interactions.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Kaser’s masterstroke is in compounding these questions of agency with his deft writing style—there are motifs of holes, bottles, and explosions.—
Alastair Shuttleworth,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2026
-
Quick hits • Orlando Science Center hosts Mess Fest, which splatters knowledge and physics with paint, foam explosions and more.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
While researchers have identified some possible treatments, Chandran says the resources needed to develop them have been hard to come by, partially due to how rare hantavirus outbreaks are.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
4 May 2026
-
This includes illnesses such as cholera, bubonic plague, typhus, measles and smallpox — diseases that historically have caused large outbreaks, especially when populations mix, as seen when the New World was exposed to Europeans.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
There have been moments of optimism, flashes of something sustainable, but nothing that has endured long enough to matter.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
The Elegoo Jupiter 2 3D printer shows flashes of excellence with its massive build volume and striking print quality, but uneven automation, confusing UI menus, and a still-maturing workflow limit its appeal.—
Michael Lydick,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The goal is to create traffic, something the Mets have only done in spurts, but far from consistently this season.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
This method could entail spurts of blood or violent death throes.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Winds are blowing west at 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Residents may experience wind gusts of up to 40 mph.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outbursts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbursts. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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