breakout

[breyk-out]

noun

1. an escape, often with the use of force, as from a prison or mental institution.

2. an appearance or manifestation, as of a disease, that is sudden and often widespread; outbreak.

3. an itemization; breakdown.

   a hotel bill with a breakout of each service offered.

4. an instance of surpassing any previous achievement.

   a breakout in gold prices.

5. the act or process of removing and disassembling equipment that has been used in drilling a well.

adjective

1. of or constituting a sudden increase, advance, or unexpected success.

   The director has finally scored with a breakout movie.

Word History and Origins

Origin of breakout¹

First recorded in 1810–20; noun use of verb phrase break out

Example Sentences

Four weeks into the new NFL season, he’s the breakout sensation that the rest of the league is trying to figure out how to stop.

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The publisher had a breakout moment after Oct.

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The novel, which is most often labeled postmodern in its themes, was a breakout success, later becoming one of Hungary’s most celebrated works.

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Since last summer, its price has doubled, driven in part by the breakout from a long ascending triangle that developed between early 2023 and late 2024 at the very round $10 number.

Read more on Barron's

Since that breakout performance, he has racked up several more acting credits, including “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “The Acolyte.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times