burst into

Idioms  

1. Also, . Break out into sudden activity. For example, burst into flames means “break out in a fire,” as in This dry woodpile may well burst into flames . A version of this term, which dates from the 16th century, was used figuratively by John Milton: “Fame is the spur ... But the fair guerdon [reward] when we hope to find, and think to burst out into sudden blaze” ( Lycidas , 1637).

2. Also, burst out . Give sudden utterance to. For example, , etc. mean “begin suddenly to weep, laugh, sing,” and so on, as in When she saw him, she burst into tears , or I burst out laughing when I saw their outfits , or When they brought in the cake, we all burst into song . These terms have been so used since the late 1300s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

burst into

Debra Robinson burst into tears when the guilty verdict was pronounced.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

A rain-soaked Harp burst into the room after supposedly running all the way from Washington, D.C.,

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

But for millions like me, the robot Olympics burst into our feeds as a glorious cornucopia of slapstick comedy.

From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026

In 2000, a Fox 11 helicopter covering the Academy Awards crashed and burst into flames at Van Nuys Airport.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

I looked through the assortment of seed packets she had put together for me and almost burst into tears.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

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