burst 1 of 3

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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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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3
as in to bulge
to be copiously supplied a young singer/dancer who seems to be bursting with energy and talent

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burst

2 of 3

noun

burst (forth)

3 of 3

verb (2)

as in to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently hives burst forth on the child's arms and face whenever she goes near that plant

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of burst
Verb
Hours later, Wootton’s family was eating dinner and watching the news when Reiner burst through the door, covered head to toe in thick, ashy soot. Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2025 Frozen pipes can cause pipes to burst during extreme cold events. Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
For most of that time, the brightness has hovered around magnitude 10.2 with only minor variations of about half a magnitude resulting from bursts of accretion onto the star and volatile jets flowing away from the star. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2025 Boston is bracing for snow late this weekend as a burst of Arctic air drops temperatures into the teens. Rachel Dobkin, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for burst 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burst
Noun
  • Lawmakers from both parties respond to the president’s flurry of executive orders.
    The Editors, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Among the flurry of executive orders since his Jan. 20 inauguration, President Donald Trump has taken aim at rooting out diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs within the federal government.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • While the fiery explosion is enough to make Emily and Matt believe that Chuck is dead, her ex-boyfriend and fellow agent Baron (Scott) believes otherwise.
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025
  • That 17-point explosion in the fourth quarter was the on-court highlight.
    William Guillory, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Most associate Vesuvius with the 79 CE eruption that encased Pompeii in ash, preserving it for eternity.
    Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 28 Jan. 2025
  • In the days following the eruption of the Los Angeles fires, children called and texted their instructors at Jigsaw to make sure their favorite horses were doing okay.
    Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Page Six reported that the 58-year-old television chef had an outburst on Thursday, January 16, while shopping at Eataly NYC Downtown.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
  • There have been more signs of progress over the last two weeks — Edwards scored 41 points thanks to a fourth-quarter outburst Monday in Washington — but consistency has yet to be achieved.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Law enforcement used tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the demonstrators just before Trump was set to deliver remarks from the Rose Garden.
    Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Playing out of position at right-back, and ably supported by industrious Jesper Lindstrom — who, out of possession, often dropped back into the defence to make a five-strong line — O’Brien showed flashes of the promise that persuaded the club to sign him for £17million ($21.6m).
    Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • His pressing is good in spurts, but he is not engaged consistently enough to stop opponents from bypassing him.
    James McNicholas, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Palmer has been oscillating between spurts of lively color and sultry, leather-heavy black.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The Eaton and Palisades Fires have been some of the most destructive blazes in California history, and are estimated to have caused at least $20 to $30 billion in damages, possibly higher, per various insurance company estimates.
    Andrew Freedman, Axios, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Southern California has long endured devastating fires, with the Palisades and Eaton fires counting as two of the most destructive blazes in its history.
    Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • In one, five women in white hanbok, carrying bundles of white laundry on their heads, form a tight, diagonal spiral (in response to gusts of wind?) against dark fields of grass and cropland.
    E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The wind — with some northerly wind gusts expected above 20 mph — should also be a factor.
    Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 17 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burst. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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