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
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
The burger giant saw customer visits weaken following an E.coli outbreak that started on October 22 and forced McDonald's to temporarily suspend sales of its Quarter Pounder hamburgers in a fifth of its 14,000 U.S. restaurants.
—Savyata Mishra, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
There was an outbreak of E. coli infections linked to organic whole and baby carrots supplied by Grimmway Farms, according to the FDA.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
In western Texas, an outbreak has grown to at least 24 cases according to an update published Tuesday from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for outbreak 
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Dee-Ann Durbin The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 11 Feb. 2025
The burger giant saw customer visits weaken following an E.coli outbreak that started on October 22 and forced McDonald's to temporarily suspend sales of its Quarter Pounder hamburgers in a fifth of its 14,000 U.S. restaurants.
—Savyata Mishra, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
There was an outbreak of E. coli infections linked to organic whole and baby carrots supplied by Grimmway Farms, according to the FDA.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
In western Texas, an outbreak has grown to at least 24 cases according to an update published Tuesday from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for outbreak
Dictionary Entries Near outbreak
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outbreak. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
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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