1
as in to explode
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
the turnover's crust burst when the filling expanded
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shatter
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
finally burst the piñata open with one mighty swing of the bat
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in flurry
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
a sudden burst of industriousness whenever the boss appeared
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a burst of anger that startled the other members on the panel
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3
as in eruption
the act or an instance of exploding
one burst after another could be heard in the distance
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burst
Travel + Leisure Staff, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2025
In December of 2023, a water supply line burst in Samuel and Marilee Agajanian’s kitchen, according to a lawsuit filed in Riverside County.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 3 Feb. 2025
Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025
That same day, Jupiter will station direct in Gemini — your sixth house of health, daily rituals and acts of service — signaling a fresh burst of enthusiasm and an influx of opportunities to improve your daily routines and overall well-being.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for burst 
Verb
In the fall, the valley bursts to life with the Fiestas de la Vendimia, a celebration of the grape harvest, while winter brings cooler climes and an opportunity to cozy up next to a fire.
—Travel + Leisure Staff, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2025
In December of 2023, a water supply line burst in Samuel and Marilee Agajanian’s kitchen, according to a lawsuit filed in Riverside County.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 3 Feb. 2025
Noun
During the peak of the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, wage growth surged for most Americans as employers scrambled to find workers amid lingering health concerns and a burst of consumer spending.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025
That same day, Jupiter will station direct in Gemini — your sixth house of health, daily rituals and acts of service — signaling a fresh burst of enthusiasm and an influx of opportunities to improve your daily routines and overall well-being.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for burst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burst
Verb
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When SpaceX’s Starship exploded in January, raining debris over the Caribbean, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily grounded the rocket program and ordered an investigation.—
Heather Vogell,
ProPublica,
11 Feb. 2025
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The virus is not known to spread between humans, which has prevented the outbreak from exploding into the next pandemic.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In Mexico, a period of relative calm was shattered with the killing of five journalists as gangs and political groups clashed ahead of the June 2024 election.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
12 Feb. 2025
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Officers recovered 15 9 mm shell casings from a Jan. 28 afternoon skirmish involving four people in a store parking lot in the 8300 block of Roberts Road that sprayed bullets into a car, shattering the rear windshield and flattening two tires, police said.—
Dennis Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Then Werfel jumped up, screaming, his face a deep purple, his eyes bulging.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
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Infants may show different signs such as poor feeding, irritability, bulging of the soft spot on their head or lethargy.—
Daryl Austin,
USA TODAY,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
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After a slow start to free agency, the Valkyries have made a flurry of moves.—
Joseph Dycus,
The Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2025
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The scene between Lipa, 29, and Turner, 34, also sparked a flurry of other reactions from fans.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Driving the news: The IAEA said Friday that an explosion was heard at the plant overnight at the containment structure over the plant's reactor 4 — the site of the 1986 disaster — causing a fire.—
Ivana Saric,
Axios,
14 Feb. 2025
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, said that its team at the site heard a large explosion shortly before 2 a.m. local time Friday (7 p.m. ET Thursday).—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Iceland is a volcanic island, and volcanic islands sometimes have volcanic eruptions.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2025
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Santorini took its current shape following one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, around 1600 BC.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Egypt is a regional lynchpin containing a potential powder keg of radical sentiment that if detonated would ricochet around the region, puncturing European and US interests.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN,
5 Feb. 2025
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Just a few days before a career Special Forces soldier detonated a rental truck outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, the U.S. Department of Defense released a report on the mental health of its troops.—
Anna Mulrine Grobe,
The Christian Science Monitor,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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France’s Ad Vitam has entered Netflix’s all-time top ten for most popular non-English movies on its platform one week after Culpa Tuya smashed records for Amazon.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
7 Feb. 2025
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These carnivorous crustaceans pack a powerful punch that can smash mollusk shells at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour and even break glass.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
7 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near burst
Cite this Entry
“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burst. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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