sunburst

American  

[suhn-burst] / ˈsʌnˌbɜrst /

noun

1. a burst of sunlight; a sudden shining of the sun through rifted clouds.

2. a firework, piece of jewelry, ornament, or the like, resembling the sun with rays issuing in all directions.

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adjective

1. Sewing. sewn or made to resemble a sunburst; having the rays or lines of design flared from a central point.

   sunburst pleats; sunburst tucks.

sunburst British  

/ ˈsʌnˌbɜːst /

noun

1. a burst of sunshine, as through a break in the clouds

2. a pattern or design resembling that of the sun

3. a jewelled brooch with this pattern

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Etymology

Origin of sunburst

First recorded in 1810–20; sun + burst

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sunburst

The impact threw material outward for tens of meters, forming striking rays that spread out in a sunburst pattern.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 8, 2026

The Eaton and Palisades fire diaspora has played out in a sunburst pattern of impromptu moves that likely will never be traced in full detail.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026

The stage lights at one point seemed to illuminate nothing but the sunburst pattern on his bass and Jones wondered if it was the same instrument McCartney had played in the early ’60s.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 16, 2024

Mohawk warrior flags, which feature the face of an indigenous man superimposed on a yellow sunburst on a red background, wave in the wind.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2023

She was a sunburst in the rift of strangers.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

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