1
as in bursts
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
a spurt of economic growth for the first quarter of the year
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pours
to flow out in great quantities or with force
water spurted from the garden hose just as I was checking the nozzle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in erupts
to throw out or off (something from within) often violently
the pipe suddenly cracked and began spurting water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spurts
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
The flip side of all this is that Perez’s terrific career has been marked by funks and spurts … just seldom this early.
—Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
Jamahl Mosley‘s group successfully shared the ball by dishing out 33 assists and defended at a high level in spurts by scoring 28 points off 20 takeaways.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
The Horned Frogs can play fast in spurts, but typically TCU uses a more deliberate pace on offense, using multiple ball screens to create the right look for Miles or her teammates.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
But recovery would come in fits and spurts.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
My limbs stilled and grew heavy in the heat, but Alice jiggled her knees up and down, bursting out with short spurts of conversation that weighed against the beauty of our silence.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
The 6-foot-4 center back played in spurts after being acquired in a trade with Dallas last year for $300,000 in general allocation money and an international roster slot.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 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
The flip side of all this is that Perez’s terrific career has been marked by funks and spurts … just seldom this early.
—Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
Jamahl Mosley‘s group successfully shared the ball by dishing out 33 assists and defended at a high level in spurts by scoring 28 points off 20 takeaways.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
The Horned Frogs can play fast in spurts, but typically TCU uses a more deliberate pace on offense, using multiple ball screens to create the right look for Miles or her teammates.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
But recovery would come in fits and spurts.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
My limbs stilled and grew heavy in the heat, but Alice jiggled her knees up and down, bursting out with short spurts of conversation that weighed against the beauty of our silence.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
The 6-foot-4 center back played in spurts after being acquired in a trade with Dallas last year for $300,000 in general allocation money and an international roster slot.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
Blood spurts against the window.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurts
Noun
-
Scientists at Stanford found that biological aging accelerates in two distinct bursts, once around age 44 and again around 60, making the 30s and 40s a critical window for intervention.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
6 May 2026
-
In fact, when experienced in short bursts, stress can be beneficial by increasing focus, improving performance and preparing the body to handle challenges.—
Danielle Wilhour,
The Conversation,
5 May 2026
Noun
-
The two men, who were flanked by their wives, chatted during the parade, which was capped with a flyover of four F-35 military jets.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
State-of-the-art drones, and the technology needed to intercept them, have become as important to national weapons arsenals as missiles, Patriot systems, fighter jets, and warships.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sun’s attorney, Wilson Carroll, argued that with rising operations expenses and the amount the company pours back into the property, the increases were fair.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
She’s made the ear into which Salieri pours his late-life confessions, and in an even later episode is visited by Alexander Pushkin (Jack Farthing), the Russian writer, who wants to write a play based on the Mozart-Salieri legend.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
As a cop tries the door to the basement with keys given to him by the suspect’s estranged wife, an explosion erupts.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Antisemitism controversy erupts at elite NY high school after Israel flyer found in urinal.—
,
FOXNews.com,
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
Verb
-
David then rushes forward and punches Niemi in the back of the head at least twice, according to the video.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The Flyers just don’t give up odd-man rushes.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, a salty liquid containing calcium chloride (a salt often used to de-ice roads) is pumped through the regenerator, which carries the heat away and ejects it to the surroundings on exit.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Results published in Nature show that cells use bioelectricity to coordinate a complex collective behavior called extrusion, a vital process that ejects sick or struggling individual cells from tissue to maintain health and keep growth in check.—
Elise Cutts,
Quanta Magazine,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Spurts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurts. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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