1
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a paroxysm of laughter greeted the pratfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
Darwin's introduction of the theory of evolution created paroxysms in both religion and science that are still being felt today
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paroxysm
Henry, afflicted by a psychic link to the monsters behind the veil of the Stranger Things universe, has to go into writhing, spitting paroxysms at least once every 20 minutes or so.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
The system came crashing down in a paroxysm of raw power politics, and the world was set ablaze.
—Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Sudden fits or attacks, known as paroxysms, of rapid coughs.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
For Fu, a 24-year-old graduate student in Beijing, this month’s paroxysms don’t change much on the ground.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
The system came crashing down in a paroxysm of raw power politics, and the world was set ablaze.
—Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Sudden fits or attacks, known as paroxysms, of rapid coughs.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
For Fu, a 24-year-old graduate student in Beijing, this month’s paroxysms don’t change much on the ground.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysm
Noun
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Sure, other fates are possible, like direct collapse to a black hole or explosions through the pair-instability mechanism, but a core-collapse supernova (also known as a type II supernova) represents the fate of the majority of the most massive stars ever to be born.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
12 Sep. 2025
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Such an explosion would happen to the smallest possible black holes, at most, once every 100,000 years, according to previous theories.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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At some point, everyone faces upheaval; a layoff, a health scare, a collapsing industry, or simply the gnawing sense that the old way isn’t working anymore.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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This event triggered a massive upheaval in the global financial markets and signaled the intensification of the 2008 financial crisis.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The astonishing Laanstra-Corn does not play Hedvig purely as an innocent; there’s something as dangerous and emotionally labile in her shocked face as there is in Gregers’s explosive outbursts.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
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Segal advises employers who are weighing their options following a contentious employee outburst to run through a series of questions to determine a course of action.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Experts fear the growing age gap between rulers and the ruled could feed unrest on a continent already facing cascading crises.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Such warnings for France specifically are not uncommon, with the country often experiencing unrest due to protests or strike action.—
Dan Gooding
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The burst of color from the roses, flowers and greenery perfectly complemented the vibrant and textural creations.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The bursts of action punctuate these lulls and sync perfectly with the intro song, Shortchange Hero (by The Heavy).—
G Kirilloff,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The former Columbia graduate student was born in Syria but fled during the country’s revolution in 2013.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
-
His father, a former military officer, was imprisoned following the Iranian revolution until his mother was able to negotiate his release with prison guards, according to reporting by the New York Times.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As part of the new study, Knutsen and her team programmed Perseverance's cameras to watch the sky after solar eruptions known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) blasted in the direction of Mars.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Kamchatka sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic activity frequently triggers earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.—
Amanda Castro
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For more severe and potentially life-threatening infections, symptoms may include headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
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An hour later, Bradley Fullerton’s cellmate sought help because Fullerton was having convulsions, according to the filing.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paroxysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysm. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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