spate

noun

1
2
a
: a large number or amount
a spate of books on gardening
b
: a sudden or strong outburst : rush
a spate of anger

Examples of spate in a Sentence

A spate of books on the subject have come out recently. There was a spate of corporate mergers in the 1980s.
Recent Examples on the Web Ongoing tensions over immigration and asylum policies, a spate of lethal terrorist attacks and the explosive emotions stoked by the Israel-Hamas war (France has both the largest Jewish and the largest Muslim populations in Europe) create a climate favorable to the far right on social issues. Elisabeth Zerofsky, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The spate of federal activity reflects Biden’s ongoing campaign to stamp out the root causes of persistent inflation. Tony Romm, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Ivy Ridge shuttered following a spate of bad press and a NY Attorney General investigation. TIME, 5 Mar. 2024 There’s also a spate of new products that delve deeper into various skin conditions, including two spot treatments, one for inflammatory acne and one for non-inflammatory acne, and a sunscreen in two formulas, tinted and non-tinted. Sharon Edelson, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The spate of powerful storms that caused rampant flooding and mudslides this week reminded Southern Californians of the perils that can make this region feel more like something out of catastrophe central than central casting. Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 Taxpayers also picked up the tab for Fischer’s legal defense in the spate of civil lawsuits — at least $1.1 million paid to attorney Joseph Kutyla. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2024 And a spate of new government data released this week shows just how quiet that lull has become. Irina Ivanova, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024 There has been a spate of terror attacks against Israelis in the occupied West Bank in recent weeks. Amir Tal, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near spate

Cite this Entry

“Spate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spate

noun
: a sudden flood or rush

More from Merriam-Webster on spate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!