as in waterfalls
a fall of water usually from a great height
the river forms a series of cascades as it drops a total of 200 feet in elevation
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Recent Examples of cascades
Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
Head to destinations with stirring water views, from the crashing cascades of Niagara Falls to the dramatic Oregon coast.
—Cailey Rizzo, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
When a mechanical failure hits or a system outage cascades into days of delays, the airline might eventually rebook a flight.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Falling from an elegant halterneck, the gown cascades to the floor in tiers and tiers (and more tiers) of ruffled mesh and sequins.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
Others relish the frisky sounds of sleigh bells and triumphant cascades of horns that embellish so many holiday classics.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
The importance of active avoidance To prevent crashes and cascades, satellite companies could adopt a leave no trace standard, which means designing satellites that do not fragment, release debris or endanger their neighbors, and that can be safely removed from orbit.
—Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 3 Dec. 2025
An advisory covers the cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties (including Mount Baker).
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
The resulting sandstone cliffs, canyon rims, wooded highlands, tumbling cascades, and swimming holes are a nature enthusiast’s playground.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
Welles, who was nominated for four Grammys in 2025, is a gifted lyricist, and his finest verses use cascades of slant rhymes to move subtly from specific finger-pointing to broader implication.
—Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
Head to destinations with stirring water views, from the crashing cascades of Niagara Falls to the dramatic Oregon coast.
—Cailey Rizzo, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2026
When a mechanical failure hits or a system outage cascades into days of delays, the airline might eventually rebook a flight.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Falling from an elegant halterneck, the gown cascades to the floor in tiers and tiers (and more tiers) of ruffled mesh and sequins.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
Others relish the frisky sounds of sleigh bells and triumphant cascades of horns that embellish so many holiday classics.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
The importance of active avoidance To prevent crashes and cascades, satellite companies could adopt a leave no trace standard, which means designing satellites that do not fragment, release debris or endanger their neighbors, and that can be safely removed from orbit.
—Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 3 Dec. 2025
An advisory covers the cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties (including Mount Baker).
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
The resulting sandstone cliffs, canyon rims, wooded highlands, tumbling cascades, and swimming holes are a nature enthusiast’s playground.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cascades
Noun
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The park's center is a massive shield volcano, which covers a great portion of the island of Maui, and also includes abundant waterfalls and rain forests.—
Giovanna Caravetta,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Feb. 2026
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Shenandoah National Park Famous for its cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, and fields of wildflowers, Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park remains open, but the entire 105-mile length of Skyline Drive, the only public road through the park, is currently closed.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dolan on the analyst call talked about the rights for The Walking Dead returning to AMC Networks as the popular series streams on Netflix.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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The six-episode season streams E4 this week with Wallace uncovering vicious reprisals in Bilbao, Spain’s sunny resort area.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The result is a battlefield where concealment is harder, decision cycles are faster, and information superiority increasingly depends on who can best collect, process, and act on what their satellites see.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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The system depends on that belief.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Season 2 will focus on three more scenic escapes as Ross jets off to new destinations.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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When night falls over the ship, step into the theater to see a jaw-dropping performance.—
Megan duBois,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
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The State of Texas must pick up on compassionate border security that picks up where the Federal Government falls short.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the agency typically issues many more – sometimes dozens.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
6 Feb. 2026
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Some of those storms packed a punch, especially just northeast of Houston, where the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, reminding many of us that severe weather can happen anytime of year in the Lone Star State.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Anthony and Kate’s whereabouts are alluded to in the opening minutes of the season four premiere, as the Bridgerton family gushes over Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton’s (Luke Newton) baby boy, Elliott.—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Over email, Walla gushes about his time working with Ratboys.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Baleen is a specialized type of bone that protrudes from the jaws like teeth and is used to filter small critters from the ocean water to feed.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cascades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cascades. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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