1
a
: a strong current of air:
(1)
: a wind from 32 to 63 miles per hour (about 51 to 102 kilometers per hour)
(2)
b
archaic
: breeze
2
: an emotional outburst
gales of laughter
Examples of gale in a Sentence
The boat was damaged in a strong gale.
The winds approached gale force.
The audience erupted in gales of laughter.
Recent Examples on the Web
The ship had a lucrative 19-year career until that September night when a gale-force wind caused its seams to break apart, according to the announcement.
—
Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Whoopi Goldberg learned that the hard way when the notorious blue Disney menace Stitch — of Lilo & Stitch fame — locked her into a column of gale-force air on Tuesday's episode of The View.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2025
Permanently at rest here are such ships as the Alva Bradley, an 1870s schooner that met its demise in an 1894 gale, and the Three Brothers, an 1888 lumber freighter that can be explored in just 15 feet of water and is accessed via a shallow-water beach entry from South Manitou Island.
—Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
The threat of thunderstorms, gales, and violent lightning led to the cancellation of the final day of SailGP competition in Saint-Tropez.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gale
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Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Whoopi Goldberg learned that the hard way when the notorious blue Disney menace Stitch — of Lilo & Stitch fame — locked her into a column of gale-force air on Tuesday's episode of The View.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2025
Permanently at rest here are such ships as the Alva Bradley, an 1870s schooner that met its demise in an 1894 gale, and the Three Brothers, an 1888 lumber freighter that can be explored in just 15 feet of water and is accessed via a shallow-water beach entry from South Manitou Island.
—Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
The threat of thunderstorms, gales, and violent lightning led to the cancellation of the final day of SailGP competition in Saint-Tropez.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gale
Cite this Entry
“Gale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gale. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gale
noun1
: a strong current of air
especially
: a wind of from 32 to 63 miles (about 51 to 101 kilometers) per hour
2
: an emotional outburst
gales of laughter
Biographical Definition
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