spurts 1 of 2

noun

plural of spurt
1
as in bursts
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity a spurt of economic growth for the first quarter of the year

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jets
a usually forceful stream of fluid discharged from a narrow opening a sudden spurt of blood rushed out from the opened wound

Synonyms & Similar Words

spurts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spurt
1
as in pours
to flow out in great quantities or with force water spurted from the garden hose just as I was checking the nozzle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in erupts
to throw out or off (something from within) often violently the pipe suddenly cracked and began spurting water

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 spurts
Noun
Pearson, who stands at 6-foot-6, could use his imposing physical tools in shorter spurts. — Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 At one point, Boyle literally slathers him in spurts of newspaper ink to literalize how much blood is on his hands. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026 But in reality, the carving occurs in fits and spurts, when floods carry huge boulders that gouge out streambeds and jam cobbles into the bedrock. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026 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 The Panthers’ defense bounced back, though, in spurts — that included a safety Nick Scott interception on quarterback Trevor Lawrence. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026 Rookies will tease, and then disappoint, and some units will look good in spurts, and others will struggle. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 9 Aug. 2026 His midfield looked increasingly leggy and disorganised as Spain took control in the second half, as the imperious Rodri won all of his duels and passed the ball effortlessly around spurts of French pressure. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Verb
Blood spurts against the window. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spurts
  1. bursts
  2. jets
  3. pours
  4. erupts
  5. flurries
  6. rushes
  7. ejects
  8. outbursts
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
  • After all, a fleet of TB2s would likely be much cheaper and easier for Damascus to operate than modern fighter jets.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The plant has operated since 1947 producing cars and fighter jets and employs about 2,000 people.
    — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of jets
Verb
  • When summer hits and strong afternoon light pours through west- and south-facing glass, all that natural light turns into heat and your electric bill climbs with it.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Set on a picturesque Japanese island, the series follows Karin Shirahama, a strawberry farmer who pours everything into her land, and Lee Yubin, a city dweller whose fortunes have taken a sharp turn for the worse.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of pours
Verb
  • Gunfire erupts following victory celebration Prosecutors have alleged that an argument between two groups escalated into gunfire in the crowded celebration.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Social media erupts over cancellation, pleads to Mamdani Since the cancellation was announced, social media was inundated with posts in support of the show, with some even reaching out to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to intervene and save it.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of erupts
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
Verb
  • Eddie George rushes for 216 yards, the second best opening-day NFL performance, in helping Tennessee past Oakland 24-21 in overtime.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In the commercial, Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark rushes over to his golf bag and pushes over golfer Alexis Miestowski to keep her from grabbing the Quantum Driver.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rushes
Verb
  • This development forcibly ejects the mild-mannered mammal into both his parents’ den and the wild — literally — world of dating, where smelling suitors’ pee takes the place of an app profile.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 22 May 2026
  • At the same time, a salty liquid containing calcium chloride (a salt often used to de-ice roads) is pumped through the regenerator, which carries the heat away and ejects it to the surroundings on exit.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of ejects
Noun
  • 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
Definition of outbursts

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spurts
sputa
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Cite this Entry

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

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