broke out

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

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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 broke out Sources told the outlet the group later stopped at a gas station, where a fight allegedly broke out. Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2026 In Aubervilliers, a Paris suburb, the doors gave way under the pressure of the crowd, and fights broke out among shoppers. CNN Money, 7 July 2026 Three people were killed in two separate shootings that broke out at a pair of Fourth of July block parties in Compton. Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 Fighting in Akobo County broke out in March when opposition forces targeted a government base. ABC News, 7 July 2026 The fire broke out June 17 and raged for eight days, sending a massive amount of smoke into the atmosphere and prompting warnings for nearby residents to stay inside. City News Service, Daily News, 8 July 2026 The film broke out as a cultural phenomenon, becoming one of the most profitable in cinema history with a minimal budget and a worldwide gross of around $194 million. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 June 2026 Iran is pressing the United Nations to recognize its authority over parts of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway at the center of global attention since war broke out in the region in February. Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 7 July 2026 On June 23, the Legally Blonde star, 50, broke out her Elle Woods best for the premiere of Elle, a brand-new series chronicling her famous character’s life before her time at Harvard Law. Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke out
Verb
  • Nine months after the revolution, the war between Iran and Iraq erupted in September 1980, lasting eight years and costing more than a million lives.
    Mahsa Alimardani, Time, 6 July 2026
  • Spontaneous applause erupted — and even some tears were shed — at the battered parking structure where Gil had been entombed since the two temblors struck within seconds of each other on June 24.
    Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Verb
  • The firework exploded and then struck Ruiz-Urresto on the head.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
  • Public sympathy for Eisenkot increased on December 7 when his son Gal was inside a tunnel in the Gaza Strip and a bomb exploded.
    Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Broke out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20out. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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