1
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling the judge directed the courtroom spectators to refrain from any outbursts when the verdict was read

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2
3
as in eruption
the act or an instance of exploding in the outburst known as a supernova, the star may reach an intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun

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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 outburst In 2023, a glacier lake outburst on the Mendenhall Glacier -- located about 12 miles north of Juneau, Alaska, destroyed homes situated along the Mendenhall River. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2025 As Sonia, the scene-stealing Shana Wride dominates almost every scene, first with comic outbursts and later with heartbreaking vulnerability. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025 Every few decades or so, the Draconids create a massive outburst with hundreds of meteors an hour visible from some locations on Earth. Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 8 Oct. 2025 Swarts said the outburst stemmed from Nist's constant bragging about her date with Turner. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for outburst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outburst
Noun
  • This frustration has fueled the explosion of AI headshot tools like InstaHeadshots, PhotoPacksAI, HeadshotPro and Aragon AI, services that promise a professional image in minutes starting at under $50.
    Krysta Escobar, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
  • This Isn’t Kittle’s Game Everyone sees that George Kittle is back and expects a fantasy football explosion.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Orionid meteor shower peak begins tonight, welcoming a spectacular natural light show that could see a flurry of shooting stars spawned by Halley's Comet brighten the dark, moonless sky.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Panahi, who has been imprisoned in Iran several times, is Stateside for the first time in two decades for the opening, doing a flurry of Q&As.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And finally, there’s the eruption of the massive youth protest movement in late 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for refusing to wear a hijab.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Geologists believe that the primary trigger was climatic and ocean changes related to large-scale volcanic eruptions in what is today Siberia, Russia.
    Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Soon there was a burst of flame, which appeared to spread from the cab and shot out several feet from the driver's side of the truck.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Halfmann's team knew this process takes a burst of energy.
    Jon Hamilton, NPR, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Money earned from these collectibles, as well as from flash book sales, enable the Friends group to provide various programs for children and adults, fund author visits, purchase equipment and supply raffle prizes for children’s reading programs and refreshments for monthly book discussions.
    Sharon Hlapcich, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
  • And the exposure to bright artificial flashes of light, even for milliseconds, can not only disrupt human circadian rhythms, leading to less and lower-quality sleep, but has also been linked to certain types of cancers in humans.
    Big Think, Big Think, 15 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Outburst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outburst. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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