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burst out

B1 neutral separable both
In simple words

To suddenly say something loudly or start laughing/crying without being able to stop.

Literal meaning: To burst (break) and come out of something.

Meanings

1 B1 idiomatic neutral

To suddenly begin laughing, crying, or another strong vocal or emotional reaction.

"The whole class burst out laughing when the teacher's hat fell off."

"Mr. Bumble burst out laughing."

— Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist (1838)
Grammar: inseparable
2 B1 informal

To say something suddenly and with force, often from strong emotion.

""That's completely unfair!" she burst out, slamming her hand on the table."

Grammar: separable
3 B2 neutral

To escape suddenly from a place of confinement.

"The prisoner burst out of his cell when the guard left the door unlocked."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

'Burst out laughing' and 'burst out crying' are fixed, very frequent collocations. When meaning 'to say suddenly', it is transitive and separable: 'burst out an accusation'. Also used literally for escaping from confinement.

Commonly used with

laughing crying laughing sobbing accusation prison

Forms

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

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Synonyms

blurt out exclaim cry out erupt escape break free

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