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.

---

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

There are 31 activist short-selling firms that published research so far in 2026, down from 55 in 2020, according to research firm Breakout Point.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

When MLB recently announced rosters for its Spring Breakout exhibitions showcasing top minor league prospects, 9.5% of the players were Black — including 31 alums of MLB’s diversity programs.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2024

Enjoy a taste of nostalgia with this mini arcade player that includes classic Atari games such as Pong, Asteroids, Breakout and Centipede.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2023

Nigerian singer Asake was named Breakout Artist of the Year.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2023

The speaker said, "Breakout in five seconds ... four ... three ... two ... one ..."

From The Hate Disease by Leinster, Murray