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burst into

B1 neutral inseparable transitive
In simple words

To suddenly start doing something — like suddenly starting to cry or laugh.

Literal meaning: To burst (explode) and go into something.

Meanings

1 B1 idiomatic neutral

To suddenly begin an emotional or vocal expression, such as crying, laughing, or singing.

"When she heard the news, she burst into tears and couldn't stop for an hour."

"She burst into tears and said she wished she were dead."

— F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)
Grammar: inseparable
2 B1 neutral

To suddenly catch fire or become engulfed in flames.

"The overloaded electrical panel burst into flames and set off the sprinklers."

"The car burst into flames after the collision."

— BBC News report (common journalistic phrasing)
Grammar: inseparable
3 B1 neutral

To enter a place suddenly and with force.

"Armed officers burst into the apartment and ordered everyone to the floor."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Extremely common with emotional expressions: 'burst into tears', 'burst into laughter', 'burst into song'. Also used literally for entering a place forcefully. The emotional senses are fixed collocations.

Commonly used with

tears laughter flames song applause room

Forms

Base
burst into
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bursts into
he/she/it
Past simple
bursted into
yesterday
Past participle
bursted into
have + pp
-ing form
bursting into
continuous

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Synonyms

erupt into break into dissolve into launch into start suddenly

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