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

As the hulking metal cage, weighing more than a tonne, was lowered from the truck and wheeled into the museum, the gathering burst into applause.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

The debate burst into public early this year when Anthropic sought assurances from the Pentagon that its AI models wouldn’t be used to power either domestic-surveillance or autonomous-weapons systems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

I burst into tears whenever I see a vintage photo strip of gay men, kissing or looking lovingly at one another in the privacy of a photobooth.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026

When she then discovered the courtroom was only accessible by stairs, she "burst into tears".

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

Turning on us, she cupped her hands and burst into song: “Not Lost But Gone Before,” with piano accompaniment.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck