burst also bursted; bursting
1
: to break open, apart, or into pieces usually from impact or from pressure from within
the balloon burst
the pipes burst
2
a
: to give way from an excess of emotion
my heart will burst
b
: to give vent suddenly to a repressed emotion
burst into tears
burst out laughing
3
4
: to be filled to the breaking point
bursting with excitement
a crate bursting with fruit
1
: to cause to burst
burst a balloon
2
a
: to force open (something, such as a door or a way) by strong or vigorous action
b
: to flood over
the river burst its banks
3
: to produce by or as if by bursting
1
2
: an act of bursting
the burst of a bubble
a burst of confidence
3
: a result of bursting
had the plumber fix the burst
especially, firearms
: a visible puff accompanying the explosion of a shell (see shell entry 1 sense 9b)
Examples of burst in a Sentence
Verb
Two of the water pipes burst.
He burst a blood vessel.
The doors suddenly burst open.
The cops burst the door open.
He burst into the room.
The sun burst through the clouds.
She burst through the door and yelled “Surprise!”.
Noun
She ran hard in short bursts toward the end of the race.
the burst of a bubble
Recent Examples on the Web
Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
The pipeline bursting is the latest painful incident in a city with a long history of infrastructure problems.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025
Chandelis Duster, NPR, 20 Feb. 2025
Since 2022, the marathon’s energy and variety has sprawled over a weekend and a borough, with a burst of performances at spaces around Brooklyn.
—New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burst
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Verb
Of course, on this sunny Sunday about a month ago, there was no flying gravel, no bursting tires or broken axles, and certainly nobody exceeding the 30 mph speed limit.
—Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
The pipeline bursting is the latest painful incident in a city with a long history of infrastructure problems.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025
Noun
This can cause those magnetic fields to collide and release energetic particles close to the speed of light, giving off bright bursts of radiation that are ejected outward, similar to that of a solar flare from the sun, Yusef-Zadeh says.
—Chandelis Duster, NPR, 20 Feb. 2025
Since 2022, the marathon’s energy and variety has sprawled over a weekend and a borough, with a burst of performances at spaces around Brooklyn.
—New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burst
Cite this Entry
“Burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burst. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
burst
1 of 2 verb
burst; bursting
1
a
: to break open or in pieces (as by an explosion from within)
the balloon burst
buds bursting open
b
: to cause to burst
2
a
: to suddenly show one's feelings
burst into tears
b
: to begin to do something suddenly
burst into song
3
: to come or go suddenly
burst into the room
4
: to be filled to the breaking point
just bursting with energy
burst
2 of 2 noun1
: a sudden release or effort
a burst of speed
2
: a firing of many shots at the same time
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