break out

present singular third person breaks out · participle present breaking out · past broke out · participle past broken out

1. intransitiveTo escape, especially forcefully or defiantly.

   They broke out of prison in the middle of the night.

   1 more example

   The brigade succeeded in breaking out of the pocket and reunited with friendly forces.

   Synonyms: bust out

2. transitiveTo rescue someone or aid their escape as in sense 1.

   After Big Tony was sent to prison, his friends got together to break him out.

   Synonyms: bust out

3. idiomatictransitiveTo bring out from storage, use, or present.

   Break out the bubbly and celebrate.

   2 more examples

   Before you immediately break out calculus, consider that there might be a more elegant way to find the answer in this case.

   Picks and shovels had been perfectly adequate for the sporadic digging we’d had to do over the last month, but when faced with 30 cubic yards of earth to move in at once, we decided to break out the heavy equipment.

   Synonyms: bust out

4. transitiveTo separate (something) from a bundle.

   Break out the cables from the harness once they are inside the frame.

   Synonyms: sunder out

5. transitiveTo take or force out by breaking.

   to break out a pane of glass

6. intransitiveTo begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition.

   He broke out in song.

   5 more examples

   He broke out in sweat.

   The First World War broke out in 1914.

   The pretty lips pouted awhile but then she glanced up and broke out into a joyous little laugh which had in it all the freshness of a young May morning.

   1922, James Joyce, chapter 13, in Ulysses

   Governor Lai left today for Neichiang, which is west of Chungking and is about midway between the city and Chengtu where General Yang establishes his headquarters and stations a large portion of his troops. With the Civil Governor and General Teng moving to Neichiang, it is certian^([sic – meaning certain]) that fighting will break out in that section of the province.

   1925 April 25, “Szechwan's Controversy Over Salt Revenue”, in The China Weekly Review, volume XXXII, number 8, sourced from Independent Herald (Hankow), →OCLC, page 232, column 2

   In a war of words that has broken out between Khan and Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps, the Mayor was accused of sending revenue-raising proposals to Shapps some three weeks late, giving him little choice but to extend negotiations.

   2022 January 12, “Network News: Further extension to Transport for London emergency funding”, in RAIL, number 948, page 8

7. intransitiveTo suddenly get pimples or a rash, especially on one's face.

   break out in hives

   1 more example

   break out in a rash

8. intransitiveespecially recording industry or movies(Of a record, film, product, or company): to achieve widespread success.

   It wasn't until later that her album broke out and she hit the big time.

   2 more examples

   The record first happened a few years ago in Florida and had considerable sales. A year later, the record broke out again in Florida and again experienced considerable sales. Both times, it either made the chart or bubbled under.

   1971, Billboard, volume 83, number 13, page 31

   Avant will finish a radio tour this summer that includes a stop in Chicago, where the single broke out thanks to support from WGCI programmer Elroy Smith.

   2000, Billboard, volume 112, number 28, page 25

9. New EnglandobsoleteTo remove snow from a road or sidewalk.

   Art. 24—To see what action the town will take in relation to breaking out highways and what portion of the road money, if any, shall be reserved for this purpose.

   1895, Judkins, Brawn & Eaton, "Town Warrant" in 79th Annual Report of the Municipal Officers of the Town of Dexter (Maine), Bunker & Warren, page 6