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 multi-day tornado outbreak continued Saturday, with powerful storms expected from Texas to the Great Lakes.
—
Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2024
By the end of that outbreak, 14 patients lost their vision and four died.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024
In birds, this is the worst flu outbreak in U.S. history, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024
But the early results indicate infections in cows are more widespread than previously thought—so far, outbreaks have been detected in 33 herds across eight states.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
On April 24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a federal order requiring that all cattle be tested for the virus responsible for the current outbreak—H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b—before moving from one state to another, in order to prevent spread to other herds or facilities.
—Alice Park, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
The Project seeks to facilitate the rapid production of vaccines during outbreaks/pandemics, focusing on decentralized vaccine manufacturing, with vaccines deemed critical medical countermeasures to infectious disease threats.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2024
When the outbreak was first detected at the end of March, in an effort to keep the milk supply safe, farmers were instructed to discard the milk of sick cows, Don Prater, acting director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said during a joint media briefing Wednesday.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024
In an attempt to further contain the outbreak, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced an order Wednesday that requires dairy cows to test negative for bird flu before they can be moved across state lines, among other measures.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024
Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2024
By the end of that outbreak, 14 patients lost their vision and four died.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024
In birds, this is the worst flu outbreak in U.S. history, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024
But the early results indicate infections in cows are more widespread than previously thought—so far, outbreaks have been detected in 33 herds across eight states.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
On April 24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a federal order requiring that all cattle be tested for the virus responsible for the current outbreak—H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b—before moving from one state to another, in order to prevent spread to other herds or facilities.
—Alice Park, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
The Project seeks to facilitate the rapid production of vaccines during outbreaks/pandemics, focusing on decentralized vaccine manufacturing, with vaccines deemed critical medical countermeasures to infectious disease threats.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2024
When the outbreak was first detected at the end of March, in an effort to keep the milk supply safe, farmers were instructed to discard the milk of sick cows, Don Prater, acting director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said during a joint media briefing Wednesday.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024
In an attempt to further contain the outbreak, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced an order Wednesday that requires dairy cows to test negative for bird flu before they can be moved across state lines, among other measures.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024
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 1 May. 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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