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
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
With low vaccination rates in their community and patchy coverage in Mexico at large, that measles case translated into a national outbreak.
—
Katie Silver, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
Other nonprofits like Global Witness linked Facebook's past moderation failures to outbreaks of ethnic violence in Ethiopia in 2020.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2026
According to the organization, CPJ has documented the killing of at least four other journalists in the region since the outbreak of the Iran War in late February.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026
These twisters were just the opening act of a tragic Palm Sunday tornadic outbreak that affected not only the Midwest but also portions of Alabama and Georgia.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
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Katie Silver, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
Other nonprofits like Global Witness linked Facebook's past moderation failures to outbreaks of ethnic violence in Ethiopia in 2020.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 28 Mar. 2026
According to the organization, CPJ has documented the killing of at least four other journalists in the region since the outbreak of the Iran War in late February.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2026
These twisters were just the opening act of a tragic Palm Sunday tornadic outbreak that affected not only the Midwest but also portions of Alabama and Georgia.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outbreak. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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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