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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Although the company has made major strides since Starship debuted in 2023, a spate of four failures marred its progress this year, including two explosions that rained debris over parts of the Caribbean. Denise Chow, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025 Further complicating the financial picture for Brightline is the spate of negative news stories about Las Vegas. Marc Joffe, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025 But in December 2024, Ayala’s wife of nearly 30 years filed for divorce, and an initially amicable split turned sour amid a spate of legal disputes over his many businesses and assets, including his past catalog negotiations. Leila Cobo, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2025 The Anaheim park experienced a spate of three fatal falls from parking garages in less than a year between 2022 and 2023. Tom Tapp, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spate

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spate. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

spate

noun
: a sudden flood or rush

More from Merriam-Webster on spate

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