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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Relevance

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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

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 Third Thursdays bring the festive Art Walk, when the district bursts with local art, live music, and technicolor vibes. — Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2025

Noun

The former is meant to image extremely wide sections of the cosmos to capture tons of fleeting phenomena that are hard to catch — things like supernovas, fast radio bursts and maybe even colliding neutron stars. — Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026 At night, the lighting turns the wings into a moving field of color while bursts of fire give the dragon the kind of oversized entrance Burning Man was made for. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 This makes phase-change materials useful during short bursts of intense heat from electronics or batteries. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026 This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen. — Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The North will encounter quick bursts of snow and cold, while the Northeast may face a mix of rain, sleet, ice and heavy wet snow. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Recognizing the importance of updating infrastructure comes at a time when Los Angeles has seen its fair share of water main bursts, including a massive July 16 break in West Hollywood that caused severe damage. — Amanda Starrantino, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 The war has unfolded in fits and starts, with bursts of overwhelming American firepower repeatedly giving way to promises that diplomacy might bring it to an end. — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 Montemayor told Campus Insights Media that alcohol disrupts rest at a biological level, fragmenting sleep into short bursts that leave a person feeling drained the following morning. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bursts

Verb

In Copperhead, when an undercover drug deal explodes into violence, a veteran detective is forced to team with a young federal agent to unravel the conspiracy within their elite task force.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
That explodes into action in one startlingly seedy scene involving a rape in full view of revelers at a hotel party.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of explodes

Verb

Stand-Up Paddleboarding at Lakeside Marina Jessica Verne The alarm buzzes early on our second full day in South Lake Tahoe.

— Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
The kitchen buzzes as volunteers carry in trays of Creole dishes and barbecue while one of the sisters stirs a large cooler of lemon margaritas.

— Windsor Johnston, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of buzzes

Noun

Our arrival in the Madawaska River country of eastern Ontario, near Combermere, was noteworthy only for the snow flurries and marrow-chilling gales that howled down from Hudson Bay to greet us.

— HARRY H. EDEL, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026
The past 14 years have included some flurries of diplomatic contact between Iran and the West.

— Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Definition of flurries

Noun

The clever premise provides the opportunity for plenty of high-octane action sequences, including fistfights, shootouts, explosions and car chases, with the hapless Ben providing comic relief from Hank’s Terminator-like indestructibility.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Several heavy explosions shook Kuhestak, with fireballs that lighted up the night sky, according to security camera recordings carried by the semiofficial news agency Fars.

— David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of explosions

Noun

Seeing the Braves compete in this series with the Dodgers, from the walk-off win to the ace performances to the timely snags to Truist Park’s eruptions, hearkened back memories of October 2021.

— Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Mann said that the study doesn't have a complete record of corals over the past 1,000 years, and also that his research has shown that volcanic eruptions have played more of a role than climate change in past El Niño events.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of eruptions

Verb

If the ammunition detonates after penetration, the explosion is directed away from the crew compartment, significantly improving the crew’s chances of survival.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
After the pass comes to Bridges, who detonates passersby at the basket regularly, White goes straight up, though with a little more oomph than usual.

— Fred Katz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of detonates

Verb

That is less than half as many as the set that produced many of his signature smashes and turned him into a chart-topper.

— Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
For now, Paramount isn’t producing the billion-dollar box office smashes that drive millions of butts into theater seats (not to mention robust sales of novelty popcorn buckets).

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026