breakout

1 of 3

noun

break·​out ˈbrāk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce breakout (audio)
plural breakouts
1
: a violent or forceful break from a restraining condition or situation: such as
a
: a military attack to break from encirclement
b
: an escape from prison or jail
2
a
: an eruption or inflammation of the skin
Because stress can throw your hormones out of balance, it can make normal sebaceous glands produce oil at an increased rate, causing breakouts.Harper's Bazaar
b
: an outbreak of disease
a measles breakout
3
: a success or accomplishment especially in comparison to previous efforts
His breakout in 2006 felt like one of those too-good-to-be-true narratives …S. L. Price
4
: breakout session
They met in breakouts to exchange beat information and story ideas on the crucial coverage areas …Editor & Publisher
5
ice hockey : a play that moves the puck out of the defensive zone
… several drills during practice stressed short, crisp passing on the breakouts.David J. Neal

breakout

2 of 3

adjective

1
: being or relating to a sudden or overwhelming success especially in comparison to previous efforts
a breakout book
2
: being, relating to, or used in a breakout session
a breakout discussion
breakout activities
… some students have thrived in the small groups afforded by virtual breakout rooms.Jal Mehta
In breakout groups, they debated which proposals would have the most impact, but also the most support.Hannan Adely

break out

3 of 3

verb

broke out; broken out; breaking out; breaks out

intransitive verb

1
: to develop or emerge with suddenness or force
fire broke out
a riot broke out
2
a
: to become covered
break out in a sweat
b
: to become affected with an eruption or inflammation of the skin
break out in hives
his face broke out with acne
3
: to make a break from a restraining condition or situation
broke out of a slump
broke out of jail

transitive verb

1
a
: to make ready for action or use
break out the tents and make camp
b
: to produce for consumption
break out a bottle of champagne
2
: to display flying and unfurled
3
: to separate from a mass of data
break out newsstand sales

Examples of breakout in a Sentence

Noun the captives had been planning to stage a breakout at the next change in shift for the guards Adjective The company had a breakout year last year, tripling its profits from the previous year. Verb in the wake of news reports of deaths from the flu, panic broke out, and there was a mad rush for flu shots
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In her first extended TV role, Broadway star Diamond is an immediately likable breakout. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Sep. 2024 The stock did become overbought this week, with the RSI popping just above the 70 level on the recent breakout. David Keller, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2024
Adjective
De Domenico’s breakout role came in the 2020 Sky Original limited series ZeroZeroZero, based on Roberto Saviano’s novel. Denise Petski, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2024 Lamar Jackson’s squad lit up the Cowboys early on Sunday – largely thanks to a breakout performance from running back Derrick Henry – but then had to hold on for dear life to get their first win of the season. Andy Scholes, CNN, 26 Sep. 2024
Verb
In April, law enforcement shut down a Dolton town hall meeting over safety concerns that a brawl would break out involving Henyard and residents. Elaine Mallon, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 27 Sep. 2024 Before the gunfire, several small fights broke out, according to police. Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for breakout 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breakout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of breakout was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near breakout

Cite this Entry

“Breakout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakout. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

break out

verb
1
: to develop or erupt suddenly and with force
fire broke out
a riot broke out
2
: to develop a skin rash
broke out in hives

Medical Definition

breakout

1 of 2 noun
break·​out ˈbrā-ˌkau̇t How to pronounce breakout (audio)
: an eruption or inflammation of the skin
This is especially true for those who have acne and are desperate to stop breakouts without taking prescription antibiotics …Stacie Stukin, The Los Angeles Times
Because stress can throw your hormones out of balance, it can make normal sebaceous glands produce oil at an increased rate, causing breakouts.Harper's Bazaar

break out

2 of 2 intransitive verb
1
: to be affected with a skin eruption and especially one indicative of the presence of a particular disease
breaking out with measles
2
of a disease : to manifest itself by skin eruptions
3
: to become covered with
break out in a sweat

More from Merriam-Webster on breakout

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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