To suddenly begin doing something or to suddenly enter a state or place.
To suddenly start doing something — like suddenly starting to cry or laugh.
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
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)
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)
To enter a place suddenly and with force.
"Armed officers burst into the apartment and ordered everyone to the floor."
To burst (explode) and go into something.
To suddenly start doing something — like suddenly starting to cry or laugh.
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.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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