: a severe respiratory illness that is caused by a coronavirus (species Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related virus of the genus Betacoronavirus), is transmitted especially by contact with infectious material (such as respiratory droplets or body fluids), and is characterized by fever, headache, body aches, a dry cough, hypoxia, and usually pneumonia
called also severe acute respiratory syndrome
see sars-covExamples of SARS in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This formulation blocked the replication of both influenza and SARS-CoV-2, while significantly reducing disease severity.
—
Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2025
Wastewater surveillance showed moderate, high and very high levels of SARS-CoV-2 in much of the nation, as of the week ending on August 9.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2025
Unlike the global reach of the COVID-19 pandemic, most SARS infections took place in East Asia, and the disease had a very limited spread in the United States.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 24 Aug. 2025
Allen Law became a hotelier by accident, when his family bought the Park Hotel brand in 2003, amid the SARS crisis.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2025
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Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2025
Wastewater surveillance showed moderate, high and very high levels of SARS-CoV-2 in much of the nation, as of the week ending on August 9.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2025
Unlike the global reach of the COVID-19 pandemic, most SARS infections took place in East Asia, and the disease had a very limited spread in the United States.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 24 Aug. 2025
Allen Law became a hotelier by accident, when his family bought the Park Hotel brand in 2003, amid the SARS crisis.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for SARS
Cite this Entry
“SARS.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/SARS. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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SARS
noun
: a severe respiratory illness that is transmitted especially by contact with infectious material (as respiratory droplets or body fluids), is caused by a coronavirus (species Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus of the genus Betacoronavirus), and is characterized by fever, headache, body aches, a dry cough, hypoxia, and usually pneumonia
called also severe acute respiratory syndrome
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