1
as in flurry
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
there was an immediate outbreak of paper shuffling and a pretense of work when the supervisor passed through the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in revolt
open fighting against authority (as one's own government)
the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outbreak
Lab testing is not generally used for diagnosis but can be used to identify clusters during public health investigations of outbreaks.
—
Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In November 2023, six weeks after the outbreak of war, Israel and Hamas began an initial four-day ceasefire.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 2 July 2025
The most recent outbreak was in May 2024, when areas of Maury and Rutherford Counties were among the hardest hit.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
That same outbreak strain was discovered in a FreshRealm facility during routine testing of its chicken fettuccine alfredo.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In November 2023, six weeks after the outbreak of war, Israel and Hamas began an initial four-day ceasefire.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 2 July 2025
The most recent outbreak was in May 2024, when areas of Maury and Rutherford Counties were among the hardest hit.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
That same outbreak strain was discovered in a FreshRealm facility during routine testing of its chicken fettuccine alfredo.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for outbreak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreak
Noun
-
Senate Republicans steered the sweeping policy bill past a filibuster by using the protections of a process known as budget reconciliation, which also required the legislation to undergo a flurry of amendment votes that stretched from early Monday to lunchtime Tuesday.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
1 July 2025
-
During the offseason, the Dallas Cowboys made a flurry of moves to bolster the cast of offensive weapons around Dak Prescott.—
Kevin McCormick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
The revolt by a large number of Labour MPs against benefit cuts imposed by Keir Starmer is an example.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
Rumors of connections between Saint Domingue and slave resistance abounded in Virginia after 1793 and shaped how whites understood Gabriel’s revolt in Richmond in 1800.—
Time,
Time,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
The Venetian police’s hybrids, recently aquired, are by Huracan Marine, designed to run on diesel when the cops need bursts of speed, and on electricity when slow cruising is required.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
April 2025 The Star: The cards suggest April will bring a refreshing burst of hope and clarity for you, Aries, as The Star invites you to reconnect with your dreams and aspirations.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
Those dismissed include two attorneys who worked as supervisors overseeing the Jan. 6 prosecutions in the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington as well as a line attorney who prosecuted cases stemming from the Capitol riot and insurrection, the people said.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
-
Once the security forces started killing and torturing enough protesters, the demonstrations, which did spiral into insurrections in 2017 and 2019, petered out.—
ERIC EDELMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Mention that season, and most cite his 56-point outburst against Annapolis Area Christian School.—
Sam Cohn,
Baltimore Sun,
25 June 2025
-
Anyone else want to torture me with an outburst at this very moment?—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
In the decades after the Tibetan uprising in 1959, tens of thousands of Tibetans braved frostbite and Himalayan avalanches to live in the proximity of the 14th Dalai Lama.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
2 July 2025
-
The Gulf Arabs financed the counter-revolution against the popular Arab uprisings and worked to counter the influence of a stronger Iran.—
Dina Esfandiary,
Time,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
Along the way, the exhausting voyage involved various mutinies and crew deaths, and upon reaching the islands of the Malayan Archipelago, Magellan’s mind and ambitions changed.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
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But the mutiny underscored for Putin that the country’s current business leaders and high-level bureaucrats cannot be relied on at moments of regime crisis.—
ANDREI YAKOVLEV,
Foreign Affairs,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
The third season opens in the wake of the deadly rebellion depicted in the Season 2 finale, which left Jung-Bae and many of Gi-hun’s allies dead.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
The law allows a president to federalize state National Guard troops under three conditions: in the event of an invasion, a rebellion or threat of rebellion, or when regular federal forces are unable to enforce the law.—
Martha McHardy
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreak. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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