rains 1 of 2

plural of rain
1
as in storms
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity the rain continued for most of the day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in barrages
a heavy fall of objects the Norman invaders fled when the castle's defenders threw a rain of stones down upon them

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rains

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rain
1
as in pours
to fall as water in a continuous stream of drops from the clouds it started raining early this morning and hasn't let up since

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in showers
to give readily and in large quantities she rained praise upon her graduating students the squadron rained bombs on the enemy's fortifications

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rains
Noun
Other states affected by heavy rains include Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir in the north of the country and Telangana in the south. Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025 Timely rains in 2024 fell prior to the survey being conducted, which contributed to the elevated pond counts last year. Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025 As the weather cools and autumn rains break the late summer dry spell, gardeners can once again start planting in the garden. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2025 Between September and November, the weather leans sunnier, the rains lighten, and the crowds have yet to arrive in force. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2025 The front yard had a history of flooding during hard rains when the water from the backyard would go down the drains and under the walkway. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025 But that leadership and seriousness are balanced within a personality that’s critical to maintaining his team’s sanity as criticism rains. Noah White, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025 The heavy rains will likely trigger rockslides, mudslides and debris flows in steep terrain, especially in and around these areas. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Mearns quail, also called Montezuma quail, live in the foothills of southern Arizona’s Sky Island ranges and rely more on summer monsoon rains. Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Sulfuric acid rains down through the sickly yellow sky but never reaches the lava-licked ground. Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025 Now, in preparation for a ground invasion, Israel rains yet more American bombs on Gaza City—another round of mindless, brutal violence against a population that has endured it every day for almost two years. Jack Sheehan september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025 It is hurt, evident by the acid blood that rains down, but the Xenomorph is not dead. Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rains
Noun
  • The lawsuits seek money to help communities cope with the risks and harms from global warming, including more extreme storms, floods and heat waves.
    Michael Copley, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
  • After years of delays from heavy winter storms, COVID, funding shortfalls, and more fires, crews built a new trail as part of a $2 million upgrade to the park, with impressive new wooden bridges, signs and other amenities, completing the project in 2021.
    Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Having friends secures Israel’s place in the region and the world, as the remarkable coordinated response to Iranian missile barrages should’ve made clear.
    Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
  • On a firing range ringed by forest at the Borisovsky Training Ground in central Belarus, ABC News and other media watched Russian and Belarusian aircraft, helicopters, tanks and artillery unleash barrages as part of a mock battle against fictitious Western forces.
    Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Their pub has 16 beers on draft as well as pizza and a sit down restaurant while their tasting room and shop has beer to go, beer pours and merchandise.
    Em Sauter, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Essential safety tips for heavy rain When heavy rain pours, the risk of flooding and treacherous roads rises.
    Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The river will still become polluted after heavy rainfalls due to runoff from the streets and flushing of city sewage systems.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
  • During years of drought, when the water level dropped, trees grew in the lake bed, but when water returned following heavy rainfalls, the trees lost their leaves and were just bare trunks and branches.
    Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • New Mexico and Arizona will also see an increase in showers and thunderstorms and a possibility for localized flash flooding today into Friday.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The hurricane center said a broad area of low pressure located a few hundred miles off the coast of southwestern Mexico is producing a large area of showers and thunderstorms.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Bright sunlight floods the sensors with background noise, surface reflections distort the signal, and long-distance measurements require higher stability than short-range indoor use.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Rainwater floods their tents and officers go cell-to-cell pressuring detainees to sign voluntary removal orders before they’re allowed to consult their attorneys.
    Kate Payne, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • An ancillary of the brand’s best-selling, ambery-woody eau, each aluminum tube contains a quick-absorbing lotion that lavishes skin with moisture, keeping hands feeling comfortable and cuticles softened with its moisturizing blend of avocado oil, shea butter, plus green tea and chamomile extracts.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Summer also brings on rainstorms with lightning and flash flooding.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Scientists across the globe agree that nations need to rapidly embrace renewable energy to stave off the worst effects of climate change, including extreme heat and drought; larger, more intense wildfires and supercharged hurricanes, typhoons and rainstorms that lead to catastrophic flooding.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Aug. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Rains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rains. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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