1
as in landslide
a large mass especially of snow, ice, dirt, or rocks descending from a high place
Much of the mountainside was covered by the avalanche.
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2
as in influx
a sudden large amount of something that overwhelms
After the disaster, the town received an avalanche of letters and donations from supporters and well-wishers.
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as in to fall
to fall down in a large mass
The snow avalanched down the mountainside.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of avalanche
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2025
My view is that this is the first tiny snowball that is starting to roll down a snowy hill and soon will be a gigantic avalanche that everybody will be talking about.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Shanti Lerner, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2021
The distinctive light green of aspen leaves in summer, set off from the deep greens of conifers such as lodgepole pines, frequently marks the zones where winter snow is unstable and tends to avalanche.
—Michael C Grant, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for avalanche
Noun
Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2025
My view is that this is the first tiny snowball that is starting to roll down a snowy hill and soon will be a gigantic avalanche that everybody will be talking about.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
And many of those paths, some of which are accessible from the Humphreys Peak trail, will avalanche every year.
—Shanti Lerner, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2021
The distinctive light green of aspen leaves in summer, set off from the deep greens of conifers such as lodgepole pines, frequently marks the zones where winter snow is unstable and tends to avalanche.
—Michael C Grant, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for avalanche
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avalanche
Noun
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Bowers lost to Brown in a landslide in 2023, picking up less than a quarter of the vote in the heavily Democratic district.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Using imagery, the lab was able to identify that about one-fourth of the locations have been expanded since Russia began its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, presumably to meet the influx.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
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So while cells in a younger person (that were continuously exposed to estrogen prior to HRT) might benefit from a fresh influx of estrogen, ones that had a break from that estrogen bath might react negatively to it.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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New residential property prices fell year-on-year during August in 65 out of 70 cities surveyed by the NBS, data also showed.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
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Penske’s complaint argues that practice isn’t a fair exchange and has caused significant financial harm, with the company’s affiliate revenue falling by more than a third (as a result of Google’s AI Overviews co-opting traffic that might have otherwise gone to Penske outlets).—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The text records royal decrees including tax relief during poor Nile floods; donations to temples; the creation of a new priestly office; a festival tied to the heliacal rising of Sirius; and a calendar reform introducing a leap day every four years.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
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Take the necessary actions to protect flood-prone property.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What has the city done about the overflows?—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Sep. 2025
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And, for overflow guests—or to get away from guests—a total retreat is found in the one-bedroom guesthouse, which has a private entrance, a full kitchen, and even its own garage.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Steer clear of puddles - Driving into puddles or low areas of rainwater can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Steer clear of puddles - Driving into puddles or low areas of rainwater can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The slide below summarizes their claims for ROI improvements using Kove.—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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The decline of people moving this decade has been part of a continuous slide as home prices have skyrocketed in some metros and interest rates have gone up.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That just happened to coincide with a deluge of rain, enough to flood streets in downtown Miami and Fort Lauderdale, swamp some cars and send manhole covers and drains bubbling up with excess rainwater.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
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Pakistan has experienced a series of deadly floods through the summer monsoon season, but a fresh deluge of heavy rain in early September intensified the humanitarian crisis.—
Shannon K. Kingston,
ABC News,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Avalanche.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avalanche. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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