outbreak
noun
out·break
ˈau̇t-ˌbrāk 
1
a
: a sudden or violent increase in activity or currency
the outbreak of war
b
: a sudden rise in the incidence of a disease
an outbreak of measles
c
: a sudden increase in numbers of a harmful organism and especially an insect within a particular area
an outbreak of locusts
2
Synonyms
Examples of outbreak in a Sentence
there was an immediate outbreak of paper shuffling and a pretense of work when the supervisor passed through the room
the government quelled the outbreak with ruthless efficiency
Recent Examples on the Web
The sole salmonella outbreak on the agency's active investigation list involves one with 141 people sickened and a food link not yet identified, as first noted by food safety attorney Bill Marler.
—
Kate Gibson, CBS News, 3 June 2024
At the time, the CDC and FDA said in a press release that 12 people across seven states have been infected with an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infection.
—Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024
The outbreak was first identified by city health officials in October 2022 and was found to be among people who recently migrated from or through central and South America and lived in a shelter or residential facility.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 May 2024
For now, the CDC says the outbreak in cows does not pose a significant health threat to people who don’t routinely work with the animals.
—Alice Park, TIME, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for outbreak 
Kate Gibson, CBS News, 3 June 2024
At the time, the CDC and FDA said in a press release that 12 people across seven states have been infected with an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infection.
—Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 3 June 2024
The outbreak was first identified by city health officials in October 2022 and was found to be among people who recently migrated from or through central and South America and lived in a shelter or residential facility.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 May 2024
For now, the CDC says the outbreak in cows does not pose a significant health threat to people who don’t routinely work with the animals.
—Alice Park, TIME, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for outbreak
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outbreak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near outbreak
Cite this Entry
“Outbreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outbreak. Accessed 7 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
outbreak
noun
out·break
ˈau̇t-ˌbrāk
1
: a sudden increase in activity, use, or acceptance
the outbreak of war
2
: something (as an epidemic or revolution) that breaks out
an outbreak of measles
Medical Definition
outbreak
noun
out·break
ˈau̇t-ˌbrāk
1
: a sudden rise in the incidence of a disease
an outbreak of measles
2
: a sudden increase in numbers of a harmful organism and especially an insect within a particular area
an outbreak of locusts
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