1
as in storm
a disturbance of the atmosphere accompanied by wind and often by precipitation (as rain or snow)
the sudden summertime tempest drove us off the golf course and into the clubhouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the town council handled the tempest over cuts to the school budget as well as could be expected
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 tempest
People caught in the tempest discovered the limits of human control.
—
Ethan Wolin
updated July 4, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2025
In this tempest of confusion, a welcome sea-change is occurring in markets: value is finally outperforming growth.
—James Berman, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
The show actually opens in a lighter vein, with Kumar showing us the play’s inspiration: a 2017 photograph of the then four-year-old Prince George, which, at the time, caused a tempest in an online teapot.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 26 June 2025
These accoutrements saved our weekend when a late-May tempest blew across Colorado’s San Luis Valley one night.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Ethan Wolin
updated July 4, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2025
In this tempest of confusion, a welcome sea-change is occurring in markets: value is finally outperforming growth.
—James Berman, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
The show actually opens in a lighter vein, with Kumar showing us the play’s inspiration: a 2017 photograph of the then four-year-old Prince George, which, at the time, caused a tempest in an online teapot.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 26 June 2025
These accoutrements saved our weekend when a late-May tempest blew across Colorado’s San Luis Valley one night.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempest
Noun
-
The next name on the storm list for eastern Pacific systems is Mario.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
While snowfall totals may not meet the threshold for a full storm warning, the advisory signals conditions likely to cause significant travel disruptions, especially during peak commute hours.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
He has been put in charge of a fragile minority government prone to challenges, demands and upheaval from parties on both the far left and right — as the ousting of Bayrou and his predecessor, Michel Barnier, less than a year ago, has proven.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Through two of Macron’s presidential terms, where upheaval has been the norm, Lecornu has been an unusually stable presence around the cabinet table.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While flying over southeast Ohio, the Shenandoah encountered a powerful squall line that tore the airship apart.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Still, the richest, most enduring pleasures here are formal ones, beginning with the exacting still-life compositions and oily, vehement primary hues of Jenkins’ 16mm lensing, which can make a painterly subject of a maritime squall or a mustard-yellow wading boot.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Nepal’s current bout of political unrest started in early September, when a group of young Nepalis, fed up with seeing politicians’ children posting about their designer handbags and luxury travel while most people struggle to make ends meet, organized a peaceful protest.—
Sugam Pokharel,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
International headlines often paint Haiti as a nation gripped by crisis — from political unrest and economic hardship to uncertainty about the future and unruly crime.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Understanding the future of technology—and the wild imagination, hubris, and upheaval that accompany every technological revolution—has been a preoccupation among Atlantic writers for generations.—
Alex Reisner,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Interestingly, it was found spinning at 100 revolutions per second.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Indian leaders have also downplayed the area’s earthquake risk while citing tsunamis as a reason why the Great Nicobarese indigenous people living in government camps cannot return to their ancestral villages.—
M. Rajshekhar,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The earthquake shook at a depth of 9 miles, with its epicenter roughly 11 miles west of Imperial Beach.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tempest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempest. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share