breakout

American  

[breyk-out] / ˈbreɪkˌaʊt /

noun

breakouts plural

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.

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adjective

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

   The director has finally scored with a breakout movie.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• breakouts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of breakout

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

Example Sentences

While a previous breakout attempt above $66.36 failed despite a bullish island reversal in January, the current setup appears stronger from a technical standpoint.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

New Zealand’s Tim Payne and the Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande are two such players to watch after their breakout World Cup performances.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026

He posted about listening to Ella Langley in the car, so the breakout country artist invited him and his friends backstage at a concert.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026

When Clark won his first major back then by holding off Rory McIlroy by one stroke, it was a breakout moment for an up-and-comer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026

Less than two years later, Fudge had erupted out of the fire yet again, this time with the news that there had been a mass breakout from Azkaban.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling