1.
If something such as war, fighting, or disease breaks out , it begins suddenly.
He was 29 when war broke out...
I was in a nightclub in Brixton and a fight broke out.
PHRASAL VERB : V P , V P
2.
If a prisoner breaks out of a prison, they escape from it.
The two men broke out of their cells and cut through a perimeter fence.
PHRASAL VERB : V P of n , also V P
see also breakout
3.
If you break out of a dull situation or routine, you manage to change it or escape from it.
It’s taken a long time to break out of my own conventional training...
If her marriage becomes too restrictive, she will break out and seek new horizons.
PHRASAL VERB : V P of n , V P
4.
If you break out in a rash or a sweat, a rash or sweat appears on your skin.
A person who is allergic to cashews may break out in a rash when he consumes these nuts...
A line of sweat broke out on her forehead and she thought she might faint.
PHRASAL VERB : V P in n , V P