outbursts

noun

plural of outburst
1
as in bursts
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling the judge directed the courtroom spectators to refrain from any outbursts when the verdict was read

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in flurries
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity there was a remarkable outburst of work in the office as the visiting VIPs made their tour

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in eruptions
the act or an instance of exploding in the outburst known as a supernova, the star may reach an intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 outbursts The 36-year-old Hubble also is dropping in orbit because of the sun’s recent outbursts. — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 He was accused of two other antisemitic outbursts and was eventually convicted in France on hate-speech charges. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026 The 36-year-old Hubble is also dropping in orbit because of all the sun's recent outbursts and is expected to reenter the atmosphere in the 2030s if nothing is done. — CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Even if fighting does not intensify, will continuing sporadic outbursts blocking shipping through the Strait of Hormuz eventually pass through into a true global recession? — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2026 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 His wife, Liz (Evan Rachel Wood), is a sneak preview of Debbie’s future, self-medicating with drugs, alcohol, and wrathful outbursts. — Judy Berman, Time, 5 Aug. 2026 Shortly before, O’Hare had kicked out two individuals for outbursts. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Aug. 2026 He was ousted from Dior and his namesake fashion house in 2011 following racist and antisemitic outbursts at a Paris bar. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outbursts
  1. bursts
  2. flurries
  3. eruptions
  4. explosions
  5. outbreaks
  6. flashes
  7. spurts
  8. gusts
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
Definition of bursts
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
  • 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
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
  • The pediatric outbreaks that get flagged don't reflect the true gravity of the HIV crisis, public health experts warn.
    — Betsy Joles, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The birds face mounting threats, including entanglement in fishing nets, plastic pollution, disease outbreaks and competition with fisheries for food.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of outbreaks
Noun
  • Peak foliage in the Rangeley Lakes region more often occurs during the last week of September into the first week of October, but the cooler temperatures, quiet lakes, and first flashes of color arrive sooner.
    — Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • On the field, both teams showed flashes of talent, made big plays and had a chance to win at the end.
    — Austin Horn August 29, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of flashes
Noun
  • The other special effects, like the spurts of air that shoot out of the headrests or the smells that waft throughout the theater, were few and far between during this screening.
    — Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But the combat happens in short spurts, allowing a fair amount of downtime for recuperation, conversation and enjoyment of the sport.
    — Rebecca Leib, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of spurts
Noun
  • Wind gusts of 60 to 67 mph were reported in the county with the storm on Tuesday afternoon, the weather service said.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Tropical storm-force wind gusts capable of causing spotty power outages are also possible along the coast from the potential storm’s most intense bands of rain.
    — Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of gusts

Browse Nearby Words

outburst
outbursts
outcast
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Outbursts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outbursts. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of matriculate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All