Thesaurus results for BROKE OUT

broke out

verb

past tense of break out

as in erupted

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

Relevance

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 broke out The fire broke out in a house near 86th Street and Colfax Avenue, in a neighborhood of frame workers' cottages, bungalows, and two-flats. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Chicago Fire Department officials said at least seven people were displaced following a multi-unit building fire that broke out Tuesday morning in the city’s South Austin neighborhood. — Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026 Jacob Allen Morley broke out of the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, on Sunday, although authorities have not disclosed the precise time of his escape. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 Actor Bessa broke out internationally in Lotfy Nathan’s Harka (2022), which earned him the Best Performance Award in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes and Best Actor at the Red Sea International Film Festival. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026 In the lobby of the building, a fist fight broke out between two women, WMC reported. — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026 Before the plague broke out in 1592, business was booming for London’s theaters. — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026 In July, a horde of OpenAI agents broke out of their sandboxes and worked together to launch a cyberattack on the AI company Hugging Face. — Harry Booth, Time, 20 Oct. 2026 Exactly a week earlier, a migrant boat with 62 people overturned about 100 miles to the southeast off Mona Island after a fight broke out on the vessel. — David Goodhue october 6, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke out

Verb

When Vučić conceded defeat, shortly after the polls closed, the crowds on the streets erupted in celebration.

— Guy De Launey, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
Internal disputes have erupted over how best to expand the business and promote content on the platform to boost audience engagement, according to former Netflix employees and industry insiders who spoke to The Times.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of erupted

Verb

Less than two weeks after the mines exploded, the North fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile more than 700 kilometers.

— Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Sudan’s war began in April 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in Khartoum and spread across the country.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026