blizzard

noun bliz·zard \ ˈbli-zərd \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: blizzard in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of blizzard

1 : a long severe snowstorm

2 : an intensely strong cold wind filled with fine snow

3 : an overwhelming rush or deluge

a blizzard of mail around the holidays

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blizzardy

play \ˈbli-zər-dē\ or less commonly blizzardly play \-ˌzərd-lē\ adjective

See blizzard defined for English-language learners

See blizzard defined for kids

Examples of blizzard in a Sentence

We were snowed in by a raging blizzard.

Recent Examples of blizzard from the Web

Attorneys for Garces and his opponents have filed a blizzard of legal motions, including a transcript of that contentious April 26 vote at the law office.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Chef Jose Garces faces a crucial court date," 18 May 2018
In South Dakota, where a blizzard warning covered much of the state, authorities issued no-travel advisories for many highways and closed much of Interstate 90 in the western half of the state.

— CBS News, "Massive storm system spawns tornado in Arkansas, blizzard in Plains," 14 Apr. 2018
On the last day of winter, a sudden blizzard engulfed Veterans Memorial Stadium Monday night.

— robert avery, Houston Chronicle, "Blizzard of points sends So. Houston soccer to 6A playoffs," 20 Mar. 2018
Dairy Queen: Sign up for their fan club online and get a coupon for a buy one get one free blizzard.

— collier sutter, PEOPLE.com, "Hooray! 72 Restaurants Where You Can Get Free Food on Your Birthday," 8 Mar. 2018
After a blizzard of Democratic amendments, all of which failed, the Florida House pushed forward a major school safety and gun access bill crafted following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Florida House readies school safety bill for vote," 7 Mar. 2018
Photographer: Patrick Pleul/DPA/AFP via Getty Images A woman seeks shelter from a blizzard near Sjobo, southern Sweden.

— will kennedy, Bloomberg.com, "What Happens When Western Europe Meets a Siberian Freeze," 1 Mar. 2018
What is unknown, despite the blizzard of post-summit coverage, criticism and speculation, is exactly what the event might actually mean, if anything.

— andrew malcolm, SFChronicle.com, "An inside look at the Trump-Kim summit," 21 June 2018
The blizzard, which lasted for hours, had killed eight climbers from four expeditions.

— sam roberts, New York Times, "Charlotte Fox, 61, Trailblazing Alpinist and Everest Survivor, Dies," 8 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blizzard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The earliest recorded appearance of the word blizzard meaning “a severe snowstorm” was in the April 23, 1870 issue of a newspaper published in Estherville, Iowa. Blizzard shows up again during the following years in several newspapers in Iowa and neighboring states, and by 1888, when a snowstorm paralyzed the Eastern seaboard, the word was well-known nationally. However, in other senses, the word blizzard existed earlier. Davy Crocket, for instance, used it twice in the 1830s, once to mean a rifle blast and once to mean for a blast of words. All of these uses seem related, but the ultimate origin of the word is still unclear.