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
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
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
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, chasing the same progressive voters, made tiny distinctions into huge tempests.
—Andrew Yang, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 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
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
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, chasing the same progressive voters, made tiny distinctions into huge tempests.
—Andrew Yang, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempest
Noun
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The chairman claimed his words had been taken out of context, but his comments were splashed across the back of the newspapers and caused a storm of controversy.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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These storms can also damage key technological infrastructure, such as by interfering with the flow of electricity in the power grid and causing transformers to overheat and fail.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Each storm sparked a wave of scientific inquiry, until, in the early twentieth century, scientists finally understood why electrifying societies had grown precariously vulnerable to environmental upheavals on the Sun.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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With such upheaval in the front line, some teething problems are understandable.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This includes trailing showers or squalls, as the strengthening system passes to their north and east on Oct. 10 and into the weekend.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
8 Oct. 2025
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While flying over southeast Ohio, the Shenandoah encountered a powerful squall line that tore the airship apart.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The drama, which also stars Hong Kong’s Natalie Hsu, Taiwanese-Japanese actor Bai Run-yin, and Malaysian stage veteran Pearlly Chua, is set in late-1990s Malaysia amid political unrest.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
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Beijing may recognize a particular opposition figure as its preferred negotiation partner, while inciting public unrest and demonstrations against the Taipei government.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Cohen reflected on his decades-long career shaping artists’ journeys and ushering in the digital music revolution.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
22 Oct. 2025
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Placing martech in the company-wide strategy The AI revolution offers a rare second chance, according to McKinsey.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
23 Oct. 2025
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In 2021, it was also struck by a major earthquake and has yet to fully recover.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tempest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempest. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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