perfect storm

noun

Definition of perfect storm

: a critical or disastrous situation created by a powerful concurrence of factors

Examples of perfect storm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Brokers say that the Manhattan market was hit by a perfect storm of other problems, after several euphoric years when sales and asking prices rose rapidly. — Josh Barbanel, WSJ, "Manhattan Apartment Sales in 2018 Sink to Low Hit After Financial Crisis," 29 Dec. 2018 In the end, a perfect storm of fierce competition, too little funding, and government regulations killed Raden. — Chavie Lieber, Vox, "When the “best” busts: the spectacular rise and fall of smart luggage startup Raden," 12 Dec. 2018 The reports point to a perfect storm of sorts that's fueling rampant infections. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "E-commerce site is infected not by one, but two card skimmers," 20 Nov. 2018 Wait times will probably only get longer, thanks to a perfect storm of events that created today’s tradesman shortage. — Brian Sodoma, azcentral, "A little training goes a long way in contractor's battle with qualified tradesman shortage," 26 Apr. 2018 These new routes and airline updates are in response to a perfect storm of cultural and celebrity happenings which, over the last couple years, firmly reignited America’s infatuation with Tahiti. — Cynthia Drescher, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why Everyone Is Suddenly Traveling to Tahiti," 9 Nov. 2018 Barnstorming through tiny towns to shake hands and deliver yard signs, Johnson said Trump has created the perfect storm for a Libertarian or truly independent candidate to join Congress and broker majority votes — calling Sens. — Morgan Lee, The Seattle Times, "Libertarian says Trump, Democrats need a swing-vote senator," 9 Oct. 2018 HomeAway’s Annen says that the fallout from the financial crash of 2008 created a perfect storm for growth in the vacation-home market: Many long-time second-home owners initially didn’t expect to rent. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "How vacation homes went from private escape to investment opportunities," 2 Oct. 2018 The humidity had actually risen from 43 to 57, creating a perfect storm for those in charge of the arena’s comfort level and playing surface. — Sam Donnellon, Philly.com, "With 128 saves over 2 nights for Phantoms, Alex Lyon is proving his mettle," 10 May 2018

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

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Last Updated

3 Jan 2019

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The first known use of perfect storm was in 1998

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