outbreaknoun [ C ]
uk/ˈaʊt.breɪk/us/ˈaʊt.breɪk/C2 a time when something suddenly begins, especially a disease or something else dangerous or unpleasant:
an outbreak of cholera/food poisoning/rioting/war
Last weekend saw further thundery outbreaks.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Beginnings and starts
- a baptism of/by fire idiom
- a clean sheet/slate idiom
- advent
- baptism
- beginning
- clean
- go/be back to square one idiom
- inception
- initiation
- institution
- introduction
- jumping-off point
- seed
- square
- starting point
- starting time
- the outset
- the thin end of the wedge idiom
- thin
- trigger
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Disease & illness - general words