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
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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
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Recent Examples of spurts
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
There have even been spurts of hot hitting by players that are entirely capable of spurts but shouldn’t be counted on to carry the team over long stretches.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
By contrast, sports like sprinting and powerlifting are done in short spurts, and the body responds by burning through energy sources that are already stored in the muscles.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 20 May 2026
Over the show’s multi-month shoot in North Texas, Williams said the production would visit Ferris in spurts.
—Brayden Garcia
may 19, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2026
It’s caused when the vocal cords slacken, leading to irregular vibration and an audible cracking or rattling sound as air is released in spurts.
—ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
Offensively, the power has come in fits and spurts.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 13 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
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
What followed were decades of growth that looked fine in the aggregate and felt hollow in practice—punctuated by brief spurts of genuine buoyancy that raised expectations before collapsing them.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
There have even been spurts of hot hitting by players that are entirely capable of spurts but shouldn’t be counted on to carry the team over long stretches.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
By contrast, sports like sprinting and powerlifting are done in short spurts, and the body responds by burning through energy sources that are already stored in the muscles.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 20 May 2026
Over the show’s multi-month shoot in North Texas, Williams said the production would visit Ferris in spurts.
—Brayden Garcia
may 19, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2026
It’s caused when the vocal cords slacken, leading to irregular vibration and an audible cracking or rattling sound as air is released in spurts.
—ArsTechnica, 14 May 2026
Offensively, the power has come in fits and spurts.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 13 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
Verb
Blood spurts against the window.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurts
Noun
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For decades, observatories have recorded brief-but-bright flashes of radio waves—fast radio bursts, or FRBs—whose origin on the sky astronomers have managed to pinpoint in only a handful of cases.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
-
This could be rescheduling a doctor's appointment, finding a contractor after a pipe bursts, or picking up your dry cleaning before a flight in the morning.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
JetZero claims the design could reduce fuel consumption by as much as 50 percent compared with today’s commercial jets.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
-
Scientists have previously observed similar outflows, both in the form of tight jets and broad winds, from the supermassive black holes at the centers of other galaxies.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Another pours a drink, then the video moves on.—
Robert J. Szczerba,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
McConnell gets solid performances from his actors, none more so than Yurich, who obviously took a leap by entrusting his story to someone else but pours himself into the role to a degree that suggests complete trust.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The crowd erupts, and Messi will get his curtain call.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
-
Gold is a safe-haven asset that investors gravitate toward when economic and political turmoil erupts, sending waves through the markets.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
But Gaethje slammed that door with more flurries, battering Topuria in a way the former champion had never experienced before.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
-
The players rotated quickly, setting flurries of picks and cutting, creating space by driving to the basket, stretching the defense to the point of breaking, and then flinging the ball to the open man in the corner.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Traffic rushes by on the surrounding streets, but within the 16-acre neighborhood of Culdesac, cars are conspicuously absent.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
-
The stunt took place just yards from the waterfalls, where fast-moving water rushes toward steep drops.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
This development forcibly ejects the mild-mannered mammal into both his parents’ den and the wild — literally — world of dating, where smelling suitors’ pee takes the place of an app profile.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
22 May 2026
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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
Noun
-
Their gripes aren’t just about Sirianni’s outbursts — which, in fairness, mirror those of so many Philly fans.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
But her outbursts frightened the children too.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurts. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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