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
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Recent Examples of spurts
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
The Illini kept it close for much of the half, but the Wolverines showcased their ability to answer in quick spurts, scoring 10 fast-break points.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
This function is often intended to be used in short spurts.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Nebraska didn’t make its first field goal until almost six minutes into the game and battled through several cold spurts before capitalizing on some opportunities in transition in the second half.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Success has visited the Trojans, but only in spurts.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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
The Illini kept it close for much of the half, but the Wolverines showcased their ability to answer in quick spurts, scoring 10 fast-break points.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
This function is often intended to be used in short spurts.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Nebraska didn’t make its first field goal until almost six minutes into the game and battled through several cold spurts before capitalizing on some opportunities in transition in the second half.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Success has visited the Trojans, but only in spurts.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
Blood spurts against the window.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurts
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
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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
Noun
-
Three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire in the first days of the conflict in the midst of an Iranian air assault.—
Aamer Madhani,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
China has increasingly used drones to pressure Taiwan, including reportedly deploying attack drones produced from fighter jets to bases near the Taiwan Strait.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
An endless stream of trucks pours in before sunrise, feeding a project where thousands of workers move through the site in hardhats and neon vests.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Everything pours from Rocky Horror and Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, right?—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Controversy erupts at Yale as damning letter from legendary coach leaks.—
,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, conflict frequently erupts over social and political differences emerging from foundational values and identities.—
Eranda Jayawickreme,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Light snow flurries were falling.—
Jack Perry,
The Providence Journal,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Neither that, nor Monday’s snow flurries, stopped Jennifer Hall and her family from making their own Magic City hoodies and proudly wearing them to the game at State Farm Arena.—
DeAsia Paige,
AJC.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Another friend rushes to join the hug.—
Mica Rosenberg,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
-
And out rushes a blazingly cathartic torrent of honesty and horror.—
Sibani Ram,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 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
-
Backlash was immediate given the rapper’s history of antisemitic outbursts.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Right now, the sun is finally moving out of several years of solar maximum—but as this week’s outbursts show, our star is not yet quiet.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spurts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spurts. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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