outbreaks

noun

plural of outbreak
1
as in flurries
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in insurrections
open fighting against authority (as one's own government) the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 outbreaks As a result, mumps vaccination rates are low, and Japan has large outbreaks every three to five years. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 The vast majority of cases have been in people who were unvaccinated, and outbreaks have spread in communities with lower vaccination rates. — Grace Manthey, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 There is currently no whole-genome sequencing system for cyclospora comparable to the tools used for some bacterial outbreaks. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The floods also devastated livestock, with large numbers of cattle lost, dealing a blow to rural communities and raising concerns about disease outbreaks. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbreaks
  1. flurries
  2. insurrections
  3. bursts
  4. revolts
  5. outbursts
  6. uprisings
  7. rebellions
  8. mutinies
Noun
  • The past 14 years have included some flurries of diplomatic contact between Iran and the West.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • There is even a remote possibility for a few flurries in the highest peaks of the Sierra on Saturday and Sunday nights with temps briefly below freezing.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of flurries
Noun
  • There were rebellions, insurrections and an Appian Way lined with crucifixions.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
  • But the regime, besieged by insurrections across the country, abandoned Manbij.
    — Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Definition of insurrections
Noun
  • Scientists are curious about the sun’s inner workings to better track massive bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections that can hurl toward Earth.
    — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The engines, adapted from those used in the company’s heavy machinery, mix pressurized hydrogen gas with air and ignite it to create bursts of power.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of bursts
Noun
  • Donor revolts—growing widespread skepticism toward higher education.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The Chumash rebelled in 1824, the latest in a chain of Native Californian revolts against the friars.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 July 2026
Definition of revolts
Noun
  • The outbursts helped relieve some pressure, but Nakashima tightened up as the prospect of making his first Masters 1000 final neared.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The McKinney City Council voted late Wednesday night to approve a site plan for a new mosque after a marathon meeting marked by outbursts and hours of public comment.
    — Trevor Sochocki, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of outbursts
Noun
  • Set against a backdrop of turbulent transition as the Middle Ages move into modernity, the film follows the three men on their long and arduous journey, across a Europe ravaged by wars and uprisings, to Versailles.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 28 July 2026
  • The representatives to the convention, which also included prominent figures such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, considered the federal government’s ability to deal with uprisings and fiscal policy to be particularly important.
    — Donovan Fifield, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
Definition of uprisings
Noun
  • In several instances these rituals were utilized during slave rebellions; the New York slave rebellion of 1712 reportedly began with a pact sealed in blood and powder, a practice with African religious parallels.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • That history includes colonial-era rebellions, using drones to monitor land invasions for legal ecological complaints, and protests against new or proposed laws.
    — Chenier Carpio Opua, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebellions
Noun
  • That mobility occasionally allowed for communication and coordination during mutinies.
    — Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
  • This includes leader assassination attempts by political opponents or lone wolves or mutinies by disgruntled soldiers who might even march on the presidential palace to demand higher pay, promotions or other policy concessions.
    — John Joseph Chin, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Definition of mutinies

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Cite this Entry

“Outbreaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbreaks. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of outbreaks for Spanish Speakers

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