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
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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
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Recent Examples of tempest
This gripping page-turner — featuring a decades-old murder, a writer in town to tell the real story and an oncoming tempest — feels like it was ripped from the juiciest headlines.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026
While the idea of a one-time tax on more than 200 people has a long way to go before getting onto the ballot and would need to be passed by voters in November, the tempest around it captures the zeitgeist of angst and anger at the core of California.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
This wild tempest of a tale set in Depression-era Nebraska follows a prairie witch and a high school girl swept up into a tumultuous western epic about the tragedies and ambitions of Manifest Destiny.
—Ron Charles, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Yet What Lane Will (Actually) Do is almost secondary to the tempest he’s created to get here.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026
While the idea of a one-time tax on more than 200 people has a long way to go before getting onto the ballot and would need to be passed by voters in November, the tempest around it captures the zeitgeist of angst and anger at the core of California.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
This wild tempest of a tale set in Depression-era Nebraska follows a prairie witch and a high school girl swept up into a tumultuous western epic about the tragedies and ambitions of Manifest Destiny.
—Ron Charles, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Yet What Lane Will (Actually) Do is almost secondary to the tempest he’s created to get here.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempest
Noun
-
Lake Baikal, often described as an inland sea because of its enormous size, is notorious for sudden storms and icy conditions even during tourist season, according to National Geographic.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
-
This flooding becomes even worse if accompanied by heavy rain or direct storm surge.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
Noun
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With several high-profile players likely to leave and Beye not expected to remain in his post, another summer of upheaval awaits at Marseille.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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As a result, global markets are experiencing upheaval and crude oil prices have remained above $100 a barrel.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Noun
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The Pop Up Film Residency Wildcard is designed to support exceptional film talents from countries in a state of political unrest.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
19 May 2026
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And these are now increasingly fragile as a result of global unrest, climate change and a host of imitators.—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
19 May 2026
Noun
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And mistaking one for the other is another legacy of how the Cold War foreshortened the humanistic possibilities of the intellectual revolution of the past eighty years—a revolution that has, miraculously, allowed people to communicate with machines using human languages.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Founding Fathers will go from the stirrings of revolution to the long and bloody fight for independence, and on into the early years of the American republic.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Scientists are continuing to find evidence that the earth beneath the Pacific Northwest is tearing apart, underscoring the need to study potential earthquake activity in the region.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempest. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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