loom

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈlüm

: a frame or machine for interlacing (see interlace sense 1) at right angles two or more sets of threads or yarns to form a cloth

loom

2 of 3

verb

loomed; looming; looms

intransitive verb

: to come into sight in enlarged or distorted and indistinct form often as a result of atmospheric conditions

Storm clouds loomed on the horizon.

: to appear in an impressively great or exaggerated form

deficits loomed large

: to take shape as an impending occurrence

the problems that loomed ahead

loom

3 of 3

noun (2)

: the indistinct and exaggerated appearance of something seen on the horizon or through fog or darkness

also : a looming shadow or reflection

Example Sentences

Verb Storm clouds loomed on the horizon. The mountains loom above the valley.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As time runs short on the nation's ability to pay its bills and the threat of the first-ever default looms, President Joe Biden says invoking the 14th Amendment to address the debt ceiling has been raised as an idea. —

Sarah Ewall-Wice, CBS News, 11 May 2023 But a rare special election looms that carries high stakes with the results possibly propelling Mobile’s population to well over 200,000 residents. —

John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 9 May 2023 Master Weaver Deep in the heart of the Spider-Society is a loom that Miguel explains maintains the Web of Life and Destiny. —

Dan Gvozden, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 June 2023 Although the situation reaches a point of reckoning during another Michelle rescue mission, the film isn’t so naive as to suggest a happy ending looms in the immediate. —

Michael Rechtshaffen, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2023 President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine met with Germany’s leaders in Berlin on Sunday, his latest stop on a diplomatic tour aimed at shoring up support among Western allies and pushing for faster deliveries of weapons as a Ukrainian counteroffensive looms in the 15-month war. —

Erika Solomon, New York Times, 14 May 2023 Fears of a recession loom, but more voters now see the economy as at least holding steady than did so in June. —

Anthony Salvanto, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2022 Like the power loom, the mechanized assembly line and the ATM, generative AI offers the promise of performing certain types of work more cheaply and efficiently than humans can accomplish. —

Will Oremus, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023 Downstairs, craftspeople were working at benches and looms, or sitting working on the floor collectively. —

Sarah Mower, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2023

Verb

Yes, the specter of Montana still looms, even though Montana himself, sensitive to the burden of his legacy, tries not to loom. —

Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Apr. 2021 Up close, when captured with a camera using a macro lens, the animals can appear to loom as large as wild animals on a safari — a safari on another planet. —

Erik Olsen New York Times, Star Tribune, 15 Apr. 2021 Big brand-name opponents Texas, LSU and Michigan could loom later in the East Region. —

Dom Amore, courant.com, 14 Mar. 2021 Huge financial concerns loom for the E.U., whose economy contracted by 6.4% last year, according to Eurostat, the E.U’s statistical office. —

Madeline Roache, Time, 11 Mar. 2021 While prosecutors have so far only invoked terrorism when arguing that Watkins should be detained, legal experts say allegations of terrorism could lead to hefty prison sentences — a threat that will surely loom over defendants as their cases progress. —

Cassidy McDonald, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2021 And questions now loom around Evander Kane, the team’s leading goal-scorer last season (26), who must play through the distraction of a recent bankruptcy filing going public. —

Ross McKeon, SFChronicle.com, 13 Jan. 2021 Attacks like these underscore the challenges that cybersecurity experts face daily – and which loom over the upcoming election. —

Richard Forno, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2020 Making changes as more regulations loom: A number of refiners have begun or pledged conversions to producing renewable fuels. —

Abby Smith, Washington Examiner, 18 Aug. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.