1
as in flurry
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
there was an immediate outbreak of paper shuffling and a pretense of work when the supervisor passed through the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in revolt
open fighting against authority (as one's own government)
the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outbreak
The most recent event that’s resurfaced this question: a measles outbreak in west Texas, where 90 cases have been reported since January 2025.
—
Korin Miller, SELF, 21 Feb. 2025
See maps of measles outbreaks:Measles cases are on the rise, mostly among unvaccinated people.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
The measles virus also appears to be present in Lea County, New Mexico, which borders Gaines County, Texas, the center of the outbreak.
—Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 19 Feb. 2025
McDonald's said its sales are continuing to recover from an E. coli outbreak last fall tied to its Quarter Pounder hamburgers.
—Dee-Ann Durbin The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Korin Miller, SELF, 21 Feb. 2025
See maps of measles outbreaks:Measles cases are on the rise, mostly among unvaccinated people.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
The measles virus also appears to be present in Lea County, New Mexico, which borders Gaines County, Texas, the center of the outbreak.
—Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 19 Feb. 2025
McDonald's said its sales are continuing to recover from an E. coli outbreak last fall tied to its Quarter Pounder hamburgers.
—Dee-Ann Durbin The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
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Even without a storm, an Arctic blast is expected to plunge D.C. temperatures below freezing Wednesday and Thursday — and there's still a chance of midweek flurries.—
Anna Spiegel,
Axios,
18 Feb. 2025
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Coming cold snap The snow flurries will be followed by plunging temperatures, with more than 65 million Americans now under cold weather alerts across 13 states from Texas to Minnesota.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The directive prompted a revolt at the Justice Department that burst into public view when Danielle Sassoon, the acting head of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, resigned in protest rather than file a motion seeking to drop the case.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2025
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Trump had his first big flop Punctuating the week was the Trump administration’s first big policy setback: the abrupt freeze, and then unfreezing, of federal grant funds amid a public revolt.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This can cause those magnetic fields to collide and release energetic particles close to the speed of light, giving off bright bursts of radiation that are ejected outward, similar to that of a solar flare from the sun, Yusef-Zadeh says.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2025
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Since 2022, the marathon’s energy and variety has sprawled over a weekend and a borough, with a burst of performances at spaces around Brooklyn.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Far-right extremist groups have been cowed in the last four years by the fallout and prosecutions from the Jan. 6 insurrection, said Katherine Keneally, head of threat analysis and prevention at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.—
Will Carless,
USA TODAY,
22 Feb. 2025
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That and Bianco’s ties to the Oath Keepers, a far-right, anti-government group whose members took part in the pro-Trump insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.—
Phil Willon,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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It’s also hindered, even hobbled, by its unwelcome surreal outbursts that make its messaging rather murky.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
13 Feb. 2025
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Their ongoing conflict was shared in a new Reddit post this week, exposing years of apparent manipulation and entitlement that have culminated in accusations and emotional outbursts.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Some demonstrators called for the 65-year-old Republican to be hanged during that violent uprising.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2025
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Over the last millennium Poland experienced its share of invasions and uprisings against occupying forces.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Olympic, nearly identical to the Titanic, faced its own challenges following the disaster, including a mutiny among crew members concerned about the lack of lifeboats.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
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The second season ended on a cliffhanger as Gi-hun’s mutiny against the guards of the Games is ultimately thwarted by the Front Man who, unknown to Gi-hun but known to the audience, has been posing as his friend and ally Young-il.—
Jackie Strause,
The Hollywood Reporter,
5 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Flowy gowns, and darker hues of usually vibrant shades are used possibly to convey the love, despair, rebellion, and individualism the designer mentioned in his show notes.—
Kerane Marcellus,
Essence,
13 Feb. 2025
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The first is Hotspur’s — poor, reckless lionheart, unlucky enough to be born on the wrong side of the rebellion.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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