Thesaurus results for BREAKING OUT

breaking out

verb

present participle of break out

as in erupting

to develop suddenly and violently in the wake of news reports of deaths from the flu, panic broke out, and there was a mad rush for flu shots

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 breaking out After celebrating, a video posted by BBC Sport showed the Belgian squad huddling together to bask in their victory, before breaking out into dance. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026 Frustration is boiling over, and fights are breaking out between people struggling to buy rationed supplies of gasoline. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 June 2026 Born in 1958 in working-class New Cross, South London, Oldman came up through British theater before breaking out in the 1980s playing dangerous, damaged men, from Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy to playwright Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026 Raleigh snapped the longest hitless streak in the major leagues during the team’s 10-2 win over the Astors on Tuesday, breaking out of an 0-38 slump with a pair of singles. — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026 Rookies were instructed through stretches and warmups before breaking out into positional drills during the media-viewing portion of rookie minicamp. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026 Height turned 25 two weeks ago after playing six seasons at four schools, finally breaking out with the Red Raiders in 2025. — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026 Perry sat behind upperclassmen for two seasons, before breaking out as a junior and leading the Wolverines to two state championships. — Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026 Survival of the mid-major programs depends on breaking out and forming their own conglomeration. — Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking out

Verb

Since erupting Saturday, three fires in Spokane County have destroyed more than 700 structures, displaced tens of thousands of residents and threatened communities.

— Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Female anger is erupting everywhere in the latest installment of Furious.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of erupting

Verb

Then comes the crack of the bat – with the batter exploding out of the box in a full sprint, racing toward a buzzing base 100 feet away.

— Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Can new memories of music, dance, and fireworks exploding into color over an ancient, battered city undo, or even weaken, the memory of bombs falling?

— Lina Sergie Attar, Time, 6 Aug. 2026