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 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
But flooding — and not just from those tropical tempests — is a multibillion-dollar threat that is largely untracked by government agencies and often kept secret from the public.
—Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025
This week, Kenvue, the consumer health spin-off from Johnson & Johnson, found itself at the epicenter of a market tempest this week.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
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
But flooding — and not just from those tropical tempests — is a multibillion-dollar threat that is largely untracked by government agencies and often kept secret from the public.
—Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025
This week, Kenvue, the consumer health spin-off from Johnson & Johnson, found itself at the epicenter of a market tempest this week.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempest
Noun
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Parts of Asheville and surrounding communities still show visible scars from the storm.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Feb. 2026
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An animal cruelty investigation involving two dogs has ignited outrage on social media, after photos revealed the pets were tethered and abandoned during Charlotte’s weekend snow storm.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The changes to and cancellation of courses comes months after a viral video of a student confronting an instructor over her lessons threw Texas A&M, one of the largest universities in the country, into upheaval.—
Juan A. Lozano,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
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The junior point guard loves to throw caution to the wind and insert himself right into the middle of the action, causing upheaval for the opposing team while leaving no stone turned.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The reigning monarch, president or dictator then unleashes the national army/armed forces upon the populace/rioters in an attempt to quell the unrest.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
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This has been a season in which the franchise has had to deal with significant unrest, on and off the floor.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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One of the bloodiest moments in that revolution, which deposed the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and led to the rise of the incumbent Islamist regime, occurred on September 8, 1978.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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But unlike then, some of those calling for a revolution today are also pleading for American or Israeli intervention to help achieve it.—
Davood Moradian,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Structure information summary Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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Noem doubled down on her agency’s determination in November that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirement for its TPS designation, which was granted by President Barack Obama after the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempest. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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