av·a·lanche
ˈa-və-ˌlanch 
1
: a large mass of snow, ice, earth, rock, or other material in swift motion down a mountainside or over a precipice
2
: a sudden great or overwhelming rush or accumulation of something
hit by an avalanche of paperwork
3
physics
: a cumulative process in which photons or accelerated charge carriers produce additional photons or charge carriers through collisions (as with gas molecules)
Examples of avalanche in a Sentence
Noun
He was buried by an avalanche.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Separate avalanches in Washington and Idaho have left two people dead, authorities said.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024
The Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee has issued a backcountry avalanche watch in effect from 7 a.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday for the Sierra Nevada, including the greater Lake Tahoe area.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024
Area forecast offices were also warning of a high to extreme avalanche danger, with large to very large avalanches possible, especially in the backcountry.
—Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024
The Avalanche Method The avalanche methods employs an approach that aims to eliminate high-interest debt first.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 29 Feb. 2024
The avalanche buried two children and a father, and tragically, one of the children died.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 20 Mar. 2024
An avalanche forecaster was killed in an avalanche while skiing in Oregon last week, the authorities said.
—Victor Mather, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Authorities received a report of an avalanche just after 4:30 p.m. local time and responded to the scene.
—Brian Brant, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024
Michael C Grant, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
James and the Lakers were getting avalanched, but a run to undo a 17-point deficit got them to within a point before the Memphis Grizzlies smothered them with a barrage of baskets.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2023
The hillsides along Summit Lake will avalanche.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Apr. 2022
That a bunch of boys will insincerely avalanche into girls sports in order to gain some competitive advantage, to slake some hearty thirst for winning?
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Feb. 2022
And many of those paths, some of which are accessible from the Humphreys Peak trail, will avalanche every year.
—Shanti Lerner, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2021
Many of these rocks have avalanched from the walls of steep mountains.
—Anchorage Daily News, 16 Nov. 2019
Early pioneers of universality, led by the physicist Leo Kadanoff, discovered that systems as different as avalanching sand piles and magnetizing metals all operate on multiple scales.
—Quanta Magazine, 31 July 2019
Just look at any photo of Gritty: his lidless, spinning eyes; his inert tongue; his unshaven beard which avalanches over his collarbone, like a Portland bartender’s.
—Jason Gay, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2018
Noun
Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Separate avalanches in Washington and Idaho have left two people dead, authorities said.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024
The Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee has issued a backcountry avalanche watch in effect from 7 a.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday for the Sierra Nevada, including the greater Lake Tahoe area.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024
Area forecast offices were also warning of a high to extreme avalanche danger, with large to very large avalanches possible, especially in the backcountry.
—Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024
The Avalanche Method The avalanche methods employs an approach that aims to eliminate high-interest debt first.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 29 Feb. 2024
The avalanche buried two children and a father, and tragically, one of the children died.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 20 Mar. 2024
An avalanche forecaster was killed in an avalanche while skiing in Oregon last week, the authorities said.
—Victor Mather, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Authorities received a report of an avalanche just after 4:30 p.m. local time and responded to the scene.
—Brian Brant, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
The distinctive light green of aspen leaves in summer, set off from the deep greens of conifers such as lodgepole pines, frequently marks the zones where winter snow is unstable and tends to avalanche.
—Michael C Grant, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
James and the Lakers were getting avalanched, but a run to undo a 17-point deficit got them to within a point before the Memphis Grizzlies smothered them with a barrage of baskets.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2023
The hillsides along Summit Lake will avalanche.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Apr. 2022
That a bunch of boys will insincerely avalanche into girls sports in order to gain some competitive advantage, to slake some hearty thirst for winning?
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Feb. 2022
And many of those paths, some of which are accessible from the Humphreys Peak trail, will avalanche every year.
—Shanti Lerner, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2021
Many of these rocks have avalanched from the walls of steep mountains.
—Anchorage Daily News, 16 Nov. 2019
Early pioneers of universality, led by the physicist Leo Kadanoff, discovered that systems as different as avalanching sand piles and magnetizing metals all operate on multiple scales.
—Quanta Magazine, 31 July 2019
Just look at any photo of Gritty: his lidless, spinning eyes; his inert tongue; his unshaven beard which avalanches over his collarbone, like a Portland bartender’s.
—Jason Gay, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'avalanche.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near avalanche
Cite this Entry
“Avalanche.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avalanche. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share