1
as in turbulent
marked by sudden or violent disturbance
the assassination of Martin Luther King was one of the most convulsive events of the 1960s
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
after a day of convulsive trading, the stock market was down 300 points
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of convulsive
The buck took a convulsive jump that carried him about 30 ft. and piled up.
—
Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2025
During the past six months, Bondi has presided over the most convulsive transition of power in the Justice Department since the Watergate era, and perhaps in the hundred-and-fifty-five-year history of the department.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
But for anyone with a taste for operatic violence and fountains of blood as shotgun and assault rifle blasts send bodies flying in slo-mo or dancing like convulsive marionettes, Gareth Evans’ gritty neo-noir will be just the ticket.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
In the middle of all this came a convulsive shock, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
—Adam Goldman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulsive
Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2025
During the past six months, Bondi has presided over the most convulsive transition of power in the Justice Department since the Watergate era, and perhaps in the hundred-and-fifty-five-year history of the department.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
But for anyone with a taste for operatic violence and fountains of blood as shotgun and assault rifle blasts send bodies flying in slo-mo or dancing like convulsive marionettes, Gareth Evans’ gritty neo-noir will be just the ticket.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
In the middle of all this came a convulsive shock, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
—Adam Goldman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulsive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulsive
Adjective
-
Hadder’s own journey from that Tuscaloosa parking lot was turbulent.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The Giants are navigating a turbulent time, starting with co-owner Steve Tisch’s prominent appearance in the Epstein Files.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Now polling suggests the public, and even Republican leaders in Congress, have stopped buying the White House’s claims that federal agents’ paramilitary-style raids only target violent criminals.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The takeover of the arts is less violent and a bit more insidious, but just as dangerous in its own right.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The press was ferocious and organised, with the number of box entries and chances created being higher than any league performance this season.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
What Lee did not anticipate was the iron resolve, the ferocious tenacity, of the Union defenders.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Kam and O'Shea exceeded all expectations with a performance characterized by spectacular lifts and fierce musicality.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Then, in the middle of a fierce snowstorm, a skinny little girl and her dog show up at the resort.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Saturday evening, police released a photo of Haile Cummings, 34, who is being sought in connection with the furious shoot-out inside Taste of the City Lounge on Franklin Ave.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
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That may not be enough to stop furious lawmakers trying to eject the prime minister from office over his failure of judgment.—
Jill Lawless,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The geological feature is often referred to as a lava tube, and is common around volcanic areas of Earth.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But geologically the country could hardly be younger, being entirely volcanic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The happy couple strolls around town to do normal couple activities (such as a romantic dinner date or appearing on the Kiss Cam at a sporting event), before Pringle Man is destroyed by rabid fans.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Then, in 2022, New York legalized online and mobile sports betting and suddenly, rabid fans like Shane were subject to rampant advertising and alluring promotions.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Convulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulsive. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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