From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englisherupte‧rupt /ɪˈrʌpt/ ●○○ verb [intransitive] 1 START TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETCif fighting, violence, noise etc erupts, it starts suddenly SYN break out Violence erupted after police shot a student during the demonstration. A political row erupted over the MP’s comments.2 HEGif a volcano erupts, it explodes and sends smoke, fire, and rock into the sky► see thesaurus at explode3 if a place or situation erupts, there is a sudden increase in activity or emotionerupt into They were angry to the point of erupting into riot. Their conversations often erupted into squabbles.4 → erupt into laughter/shouting etc5 HBHif spots erupt on your body, they suddenly appear on your skin —eruption /ɪˈrʌpʃən/ noun [countable, uncountable] a volcanic eruption the eruption of violence→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
erupt• Massive and often violent protests erupted across the country.• Though you try to keep a lid on those growing feelings, eventually they erupt, affecting those you love the most.• Occasionally a hot spot would erupt and an orange halo would expand into the night.• Part of the stage erupted at 1: 26 a. m., and metal shards flew all over Centennial Olympic Park.• This does erupt, but not to a defined time schedule.• Gang violence can erupt for no apparent reason.• A fight over a game of cards had erupted in the corner of the bar.• But everyone erupted into giggles and bolted down the street as free of deference as the wind.• But every so often, something will erupt out of nowhere, break through our defences and turn the well-ordered furniture upside-down.• A controversy has erupted over the price of the new weapons system.• Lava erupted underwater cools very rapidly with a plastic skin forming around lumps of still molten material.• But where the lava erupted, whole communities have been vaporized.erupt into• In 1999 the housing market suddenly erupted into a buying frenzy.• The memorial service for the slain leader erupted into a riot Saturday.Origin erupt (1600-1700) Latin past participle of erumpere “to burst out” 