break out
Britishverb
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(intr, adverb) to begin or arise suddenly
panic broke out
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(intr, adverb) to make an escape, esp from prison or confinement
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(of the skin) to erupt (in a rash, pimples, etc)
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(tr, adverb) to launch or introduce (a new product)
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(tr, adverb) to open and start using
break out the champagne
noun
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an escape, esp from prison or confinement
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a great success, esp following relatively disappointing performance
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( as modifier )
a breakout year
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Develop suddenly and forcefully. For example, A fire broke out last night , or He broke out in a sweat . [ a.d. 1000]
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Be affected with a skin eruption, such as a rash or boils, as in A teenager's face often breaks out in pimples . [c. 1300]
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Prepare something for consumption, action, or use, as in Let's break out the champagne , or It's such a fine day—let's break out the fishing rods . [Early 1800s]
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break out of . Force out by breaking; also, escape from confinement. For example, The hurricane broke the glass out of all the windows , or He broke out of prison but was soon apprehended . [Early 1600s]
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Isolate a portion of a body of data, as in Please break out the sales figures from the quarterly report . [Mid-1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ronaldo also scored on Friday when making his return to club football, having left the Portugal national team camp halfway through the Nations League break out of frustration at limited playing opportunities.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Year: 2011 Compiled by: David Robert Mitchell Of note: Commissioned to commemorate Mitchell’s debut feature film, The Myth of the American Sleepover, years before he would really break out with It Follows.
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026
If I err, and I do, my legs sometimes itch so fiercely they feel on fire and I break out in hives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Bukavu, on the shores of Lake Kivu, is known for its wooden houses built on hillsides, where deadly fires often break out.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
Relief floods through me and I break out in a cold sweat as he looks from me to Julie, a sheepish expression on his face as he holds up his fingertip sensor.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
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