as in rains
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity
the weatherman warned of possible cloudbursts in the afternoon
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Recent Examples of cloudbursts
The storm, which hit the New York area in October, 2012, unlocked billions of dollars in resilience spending, with hurricanes, rather than heat waves or cloudbursts, as the focus.
—
Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The whole experience tasted of the sea and the end of summer, punctuated by soft little cloudbursts on the palate.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
Heavy rain is not uncommon in South Asia this time of year, but experts largely agree that the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts have increased in recent years, in part due to climate change.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
Warmer air soaks up water like a sponge, and all this extra moisture can result in extreme rain and sudden downpours like cloudbursts, especially when that air meets the mountains.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
Such cloudbursts are increasingly common in India’s Himalayan regions and Pakistan’s northern areas, and experts have said climate change is a contributing factor.
—Muhammad Sajjad, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
Uttarakhand, the mountainous northern state that hosts Dharali, has been devastated by cloudbursts before.
—ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The whole experience tasted of the sea and the end of summer, punctuated by soft little cloudbursts on the palate.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
Heavy rain is not uncommon in South Asia this time of year, but experts largely agree that the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts have increased in recent years, in part due to climate change.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
Warmer air soaks up water like a sponge, and all this extra moisture can result in extreme rain and sudden downpours like cloudbursts, especially when that air meets the mountains.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
Such cloudbursts are increasingly common in India’s Himalayan regions and Pakistan’s northern areas, and experts have said climate change is a contributing factor.
—Muhammad Sajjad, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
Uttarakhand, the mountainous northern state that hosts Dharali, has been devastated by cloudbursts before.
—ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloudbursts
Noun
-
Due to heavy rains and high water levels in the Fox River in late April, the Fox Valley Park District postponed the event, set for April 25 in order to celebrate Earth Day, to May 16.—
David Sharos,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
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Later that summer, lingering moisture from Tropical Storm Mario contributed to flooding rains across portions of the southwestern United States on September 17-18, the hurricane center concluded in its post-storm report.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Lake Baikal, often described as an inland sea because of its enormous size, is notorious for sudden storms and icy conditions even during tourist season, according to National Geographic.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
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The storms packed powerful winds, with parts of Leavenworth County reporting gusts up to 92 mph, according to storm reports submitted to the National Weather Service.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cloudbursts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloudbursts. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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