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
Synonyms
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
In an interview with STAT, Leavitt reflected on his response to the outbreak.
—
Rachel Cohrs Zhang, STAT, 27 June 2024
The children died during the Europeans’ early colonization of South America, and their story has shed new light on disease outbreaks in the region.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2024
There is evidence that these variants increase the number of cases or cause outbreak clusters, but there is limited spread in the U.S. or other countries.
—Korin Miller, Verywell Health, 25 June 2024
An outbreak of the bacterial infection Shigella may have affected several dozen people primarily at homeless encampments in San Jose, including several along the Guadalupe River, public health officials said Monday.
—Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for outbreak 
Rachel Cohrs Zhang, STAT, 27 June 2024
The children died during the Europeans’ early colonization of South America, and their story has shed new light on disease outbreaks in the region.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2024
There is evidence that these variants increase the number of cases or cause outbreak clusters, but there is limited spread in the U.S. or other countries.
—Korin Miller, Verywell Health, 25 June 2024
An outbreak of the bacterial infection Shigella may have affected several dozen people primarily at homeless encampments in San Jose, including several along the Guadalupe River, public health officials said Monday.
—Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for outbreak
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outbreak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near outbreak
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outbreak. Accessed 1 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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