outbreak

noun

out·​break ˈau̇t-ˌbrāk 

1

a

: a sudden or violent increase in activity or currency

the outbreak of war

b

: a sudden rise in the incidence of a disease

an outbreak of measles

c

: a sudden increase in numbers of a harmful organism and especially an insect within a particular area

an outbreak of locusts

2

: insurrection, revolt

Synonyms

• burst
• flare
• flare-up
• flash
• flicker
• flurry
• flutter
• outburst
• spurt

Examples of outbreak in a Sentence

there was an immediate outbreak of paper shuffling and a pretense of work when the supervisor passed through the room

the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency

Recent Examples on the Web

Slivered onions served on the Quarter Pounders were the likely source of the outbreak, the CDC said. —Jonel Aleccia, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024

About 6-12 million lice outbreaks occur yearly in children ages 3-11.5 Research points to girls being more likely to get head lice than boys. —Wendy Wisner, Health, 3 Nov. 2024

Since the outbreak of hostilities, Israel has not come close to that average, with the daily aid figures peaking at 225 trucks in April before plummeting dramatically. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

The steady uptick in cases—in both farm animals and humans—has some experts worried about the risk of a wider outbreak of this potentially pandemic-causing virus. —Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

outbreak

noun

out·​break ˈau̇t-ˌbrāk 

1

: a sudden increase in activity, use, or acceptance

the outbreak of war

2

: something (as an epidemic or revolution) that breaks out

an outbreak of measles

Medical Definition

outbreak

noun

out·​break ˈau̇t-ˌbrāk 

1

: a sudden rise in the incidence of a disease

an outbreak of measles

2

: a sudden increase in numbers of a harmful organism and especially an insect within a particular area

an outbreak of locusts