noun
breakout
noun
1
An escape, especially from prison.
"Guards were alerted the moment the breakout was discovered."
2
A sudden outbreak, such as of a rash or disease.
"She had a breakout of hives after eating shellfish."
adj
1
Describing a sudden and unexpected rise to popularity or success.
"The film was her breakout role."
How to Use Breakout
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn escape, a sudden skin flare-up, or a surprise hit/success — context tells them apart.
Common pairings
prison breakout
breakout role
breakout star
Word Forms
breakouts plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “breakout”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Guards were alerted the moment the _____ was discovered.
Etymology
From the phrasal verb break out; the video-game genre sense comes from the 1976 Atari game Breakout.