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
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Apr. 2026
But there is a more general dread about human vulnerability to technology—a growing existential fear that people are losing the authorship and agency of their own lives to, particularly, artificial intelligence—that will be reflected in an avalanche of related negligent-design legal claims.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2026
Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026
Celebrities have avalanched their way back to America’s most famous ski area, swathed in their fuzzy coats and après ski chic looks.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for avalanche
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Noun
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Apr. 2026
But there is a more general dread about human vulnerability to technology—a growing existential fear that people are losing the authorship and agency of their own lives to, particularly, artificial intelligence—that will be reflected in an avalanche of related negligent-design legal claims.
—Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Let’s assume some calamity like that might avalanche its way into North Texas sometime this winter.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026
Celebrities have avalanched their way back to America’s most famous ski area, swathed in their fuzzy coats and après ski chic looks.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for avalanche
Cite this Entry
“Avalanche.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avalanche. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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