BURSTS Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

bursts 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of burst

as in explodes

to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the turnover's crust burst when the filling expanded

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shatters

to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive finally burst the piñata open with one mighty swing of the bat

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as in buzzes

to be copiously supplied a young singer/dancer who seems to be bursting with energy and talent

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bursts

2 of 2

noun

plural of burst

as in flurries

a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity a sudden burst of industriousness whenever the boss appeared

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in explosions

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a burst of anger that startled the other members on the panel

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as in eruptions

the act or an instance of exploding one burst after another could be heard in the distance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

implosions

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 bursts

Verb

In these moments, the actor bursts through his roles as the Spider does through Reilly, unleashing the Grand Guignol excess that is Nicolas Cage. — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Things quickly take a terrifying turn during surgery when a scorpion tail suddenly bursts through Perry’s back, attacking one of the surgeons mid-operation. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Haaland bursts our bubble almost immediately by scoring in the opening five minutes, and Burnley miss a few good first-half chances, with striker Zian Flemming particularly culpable. — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026 The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts. — FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026 Once a cushioned conduit to the other side, the casket now bursts with the wisdom of a life lived outside the box. — Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025 Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025 Sedona Sedona is another popular fall break destination for many reasons, least of all being Oak Creek Canyon, which bursts with color during the autumn months. — Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025 The movie is a tour de force In IMAX, the format’s large screen and huge sound a perfect partner for the purple one’s charisma, which positively bursts off the screen. — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Noun

But this research suggests that automation can happen in bursts, and those bursts tend to cluster around recessions. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026 On a night this cold, the bursts of flame were almost as welcome as the spectacle, providing a few seconds of actual warmth to fans on the field and in the lower bowl. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026 Even during historically warm winters, intense cold snaps, lake-effect bursts, and major individual snowstorms remain entirely possible. — Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 These motors usually provide steady, continuous kinetic energy and not bursts of energy. — New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026 Loos, who was thirty-one, was known to express displeasure in hot and angry bursts and could be unpredictable. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 The fastest robot sprinters, though admittedly quick in short bursts, also tend to crash into walls and burst into flames. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026 Cue the lovelorn weeping in the rain set to composer Roger Goula’s supple string score, and before us, a sweeping love epic bursts alive with real pain. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026 This raises the likelihood for flash flooding in desert areas, which cannot rapidly absorb intense bursts of rainfall. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bursts

Verb

Finally, extremely drunk, the young writer explodes in rage, then passes out.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
When the gang war that’s been building all along between the Greasers and the Socs finally explodes in the second act, the violence is conveyed through movement, lighting, sound and just all around scenic brilliance.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of explodes

Verb

With their daughter away at college, Abby and husband Gordy (Arquette) are settling into life as empty nesters when the arrival of a mysterious young woman (Shouse) shatters their sense of safety.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
The attack underscores a widening front in the Iran war and shatters a 2022 ceasefire that had largely halted fighting in Yemen’s civil war.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of shatters

Verb

Food and drink Throughout the day, The Bulgari Lounge buzzes with guests enjoying coffee, an afternoon aperitivo, or a post-dinner digestif.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Best Time To Visit As a lake town, Coeur d’Alene buzzes with activity in the summer months, but fall is arguably its best season.

— Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of buzzes

Noun

Similarly, flurries and snow showers are expected in the Upper Midwest, along with chillier-than-normal temperatures.

— Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 21 Oct. 2026
And a colleague spotted on a webcam video what appeared to be flurries at Beech Mountain Saturday morning.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of flurries

Noun

First responders, hazmat and safety teams are not approaching the tank because of the risk of more explosions, and will reassess conditions later Wednesday morning, Kapszukiewicz said.

— John Seewer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
North Korea denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of strong retaliation if provoked.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of explosions

Noun

Xu Fu and Ma Junsheng also play surrogate dads to Seif, whose increasingly violent eruptions threaten to change the course of his life more than once.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
As of last month, 52 additional fountain eruptions had occurred, the most violent of which spewed lava over 400 meters into the air.

— John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of eruptions

Verb

Forever Home FilmNation Entertainment, the Mediapro Studio A corpse beneath an idyllic home detonates this domestic thriller adapted from Graham Norton’s bestseller.

— Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
The missile, called a PrSM—for precision-strike missile—detonates midair and spreads thousands of small tungsten fragments in all directions.

— Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of detonates

Verb

The episode’s action-movie finale drops the rest of the episode’s spoofy meta humor and aims at straight drama, as Butcherbird smashes through Katerina’s security detail and drops her disguise.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
The company essentially smashes the cooler into a long, slim form low enough to slide under its Box beds while one or two people snore cozily away on top.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026