as in rain
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity
we ran into a big rainstorm on Highway 6, and the visibility was so poor we had to pull over
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Recent Examples of rainstorm
This means the El Niño will increase the risks of costly extreme weather events such as tornadoes, winter storms and back-to-back rainstorms that lead to flooding and landslides.
—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
As strings started to play Mahler’s Third Symphony, the smell of wet earth rose from our diffusers, and a virtual rainstorm began.
—
Max Norman,
New Yorker,
25 June 2026
There’s a chance an El Niño could bring big rainstorms as seen in 1982-83 and 1997-98, which while adding troubles could also wash sediment down creeks and onto beaches to resupply the sand levels and build beaches back up, said Sanders, the UCI professor.
—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
18 June 2026
This corner of Ealing, a borough in West London, used to flood regularly during heavy rainstorms, with water sweeping into local streets and inundating the nearby Greenford tube station, part of the London Underground.
—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rainstorm
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
As strings started to play Mahler’s Third Symphony, the smell of wet earth rose from our diffusers, and a virtual rainstorm began.
—
Max Norman,
New Yorker,
25 June 2026
There’s a chance an El Niño could bring big rainstorms as seen in 1982-83 and 1997-98, which while adding troubles could also wash sediment down creeks and onto beaches to resupply the sand levels and build beaches back up, said Sanders, the UCI professor.
—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
18 June 2026
This corner of Ealing, a borough in West London, used to flood regularly during heavy rainstorms, with water sweeping into local streets and inundating the nearby Greenford tube station, part of the London Underground.
—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rainstorm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rainstorm
Noun
-
When the rain cleared, a rainbow arched above the New York skyline.
-
Five to 10 inches of rain are possible from Sunday morning through Wednesday afternoon.
Noun
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Eagle avoided the brunt of the storm as the crew navigated toward open ocean.
-
Local Idaho agencies have spent days addressing storm damage caused by a low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska that brought winds over 50 mph, lightning, hail and more than an inch of rain to some areas.
Cite this Entry
“Rainstorm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rainstorm. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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