hur·ri·cane
ˈhər-ə-ˌkān 
-i-kən,
ˈhə-rə-,
ˈhə-ri-
1
: a tropical cyclone with winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour or greater that is usually accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning, and that sometimes moves into temperate latitudes
Note: Hurricane has traditionally been used especially when naming or referring to storms occurring in the western Atlantic; it is used for storms in the northeastern Pacific as well.
The people who bought homes there would never find out the truth, unless a hurricane came and blew off their roofs and knocked down their walls.—
Carl Hiassen
Carl HiassenA few days after Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, a small group of strangers on bicycles showed up in the Algiers neighborhood, knocking on doors and asking if anyone needed medical attention.—Tim Shorrock
Tim ShorrockThe most recent system was Hurricane Erick, which charged towards Hawaii with winds topping 130mph as a category four system.—Katie Sewell
compare typhoon see Beaufort Scale Table
Katie Sewell2
: something resembling a hurricane especially in its turmoil
a rushing hurricane of blows struck him as he stood up—Donn Byrne
Donn Byrne
: having or being a glass chimney (see chimney sense 4) providing protection from wind
a hurricane lamp
Examples of hurricane in a Sentence
Noun
economic news that unleashed a hurricane on the trading floor
Recent Examples on the Web
Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Forecasters are continuing to monitor the progress of the hurricane, currently a Category 2 but expected to be downgraded to a tropical storm in the coming hours.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2025
The rocket, known as the Space Launch System and standing 322 feet tall with its payload on top, appears to be pretty hurricane resistant.
—Kenneth Chang, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hurricane
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Noun
That spending covers everything from the 48,000 hotel stays at a time when bookings are light ahead of hurricane season, restaurant meals and dining, take-home souvenirs, ground and air transportation, and even salsa dancing lessons.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Forecasters are continuing to monitor the progress of the hurricane, currently a Category 2 but expected to be downgraded to a tropical storm in the coming hours.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The anthology examines the social and historical impact of the hurricane on Puerto Rico’s debt crisis, as well as a shifting identity of Puerto Ricans following the post-hurricane exodus from the island.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2025
The rocket, known as the Space Launch System and standing 322 feet tall with its payload on top, appears to be pretty hurricane resistant.
—Kenneth Chang, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for hurricane
Cite this Entry
“Hurricane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurricane. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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