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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

burst into

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

Hitting wonks have long espoused the importance of swinging faster—the concept seems almost obvious—but the idea of prioritizing it burst into the mainstream in 2024 when MLB began publicly releasing bat speed data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

"Hope, let out her first cry and I burst into tears," she said.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

According to him, America would have burst into flames and melted into the bedrock mantle if he hadn’t come to town.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

Before Clara could say more, her sister burst into her owl form, diving out the window and soaring out of sight on a gust of wind.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny