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

Earlier this week the index was strong, and it appeared that an upside breakout would be forthcoming.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026

Almost 20 years later, Britain's newest breakout star has achieved the greatest results of his career on the courts he dreamed of playing on as a child.

From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026

Alexandra Eala arrives at Wimbledon after a breakout grass season with rabid fan support from a loud and proud Filipino diaspora.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

When cheerleader Reece Weaver showed up on Netflix’s “America’s Sweethearts” with her babydoll voice and swivel-hipped moves, she became a breakout star.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

They'd used my school photo from last year, when I'd had the worst acne breakout imaginable.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda