breakout

American  

[brayk-aut] / 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

See Examples For:

breakout breakouts

Ray Kerr, a 32-year-old left-handed pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, has emerged as a breakout star of the Major League Baseball postseason.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

But he’s healthy now and ready for a breakout season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

In a breakout international summer, Cox impressed by scoring fifties in all three Tests when picked to bat number three against Pakistan.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

A breakout that sends the 10-year over 5.25% could see a rise to 5.6% — even to as much as 5.9% can’t be ruled out.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026

“There is no comparison between Plutarch, who masterminded the rebel breakout, and those three beauticians,” says Fulvia icily.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

"We know that a lack of sleep increases cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone that can lead to acne breakouts."

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Dine in the historic Great Hall, participate in timely expert-led breakouts and connect with global decision makers in one of the world’s most iconic academic settings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

As for the hyperscalers, the strategists said breakouts through resistance zones “would represent an important bullish signal for that group after months of underperformance.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

That’s an encouraging sign, as the strongest breakouts often work immediately.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

When kids did stage desperate, pathetic breakouts, it had been in small groups of Reds, Oranges, and Yellows.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken