jet stream

noun

: a long narrow meandering current of high-speed winds near the tropopause blowing from a generally westerly direction and often exceeding a speed of 250 miles (402 kilometers) per hour

Examples of jet stream in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Climate change might be making the jet stream wavier. —Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 23 Jan. 2026

This is attributed to two branches of the jet stream merging, and the dip in the jet stream elongating more, which allows for stronger rising motion ahead of the system. —Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

Parts of the Midwest will see astronomically low temperatures as the jet stream of the polar vortex pulls air from the north pole southward. —Irene Wright, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026

During El Niño, the Pacific jet stream stretches out and moves closer to Texas, resulting in more frequent cold fronts and a more active storm track across the southern United States. —Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 16 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for jet stream

• abeam
• airstream
• bloodstream
• daydream
• downstream
• esteem
• extreme
• grapheme
• hakim
• hornbeam
• lexeme
• mainstream

Kids Definition

jet stream

noun

: a long narrow wandering current of high-speed winds blowing from a generally westerly direction several miles above the earth's surface