tropical storm
noun
: a tropical cyclone with strong winds of over 39 miles (63 kilometers) per hour but less than hurricane intensity
Examples of tropical storm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For days, forecasters had predicted little more than a tropical storm.
—
Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023
The view from California —Since Karen Bass became Los Angeles’ mayor in December, she has been confronted with a school strike and a historic tropical storm, Times writers Julia Wick, David Zahniser and Dakota Smith reported.
—Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
Otis is set to become the fourth tropical storm or hurricane to strike Mexico’s west coast this month, following Lidia, Max and Norma.
—Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
On Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center said that mainland Mexico faces threats of flash flooding and heavy rainfall as the tropical storm continues moving north-northeastward across the Gulf of California.
—CBS News, 22 Oct. 2023
The rain was the result of a tropical storm that slammed California and temporarily forced Joshua Tree National Park to close as well.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2023
Since Bass took the helm of the nation’s second-largest city in December, she has been confronted with a school strike and a historic tropical storm.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023
For thousands of years, the easygoing people at the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers have lived with raging floods and tropical storms.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Nov. 2023
Even when Otis was still a tropical storm, there was enough evidence for Mexico’s government to issue a warning showing a stronger storm than the computer models were predicting.
—Derrick Bryson Taylor, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2023
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Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023
The view from California —Since Karen Bass became Los Angeles’ mayor in December, she has been confronted with a school strike and a historic tropical storm, Times writers Julia Wick, David Zahniser and Dakota Smith reported.
—Erin B. Logan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023
Otis is set to become the fourth tropical storm or hurricane to strike Mexico’s west coast this month, following Lidia, Max and Norma.
—Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
On Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center said that mainland Mexico faces threats of flash flooding and heavy rainfall as the tropical storm continues moving north-northeastward across the Gulf of California.
—CBS News, 22 Oct. 2023
The rain was the result of a tropical storm that slammed California and temporarily forced Joshua Tree National Park to close as well.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2023
Since Bass took the helm of the nation’s second-largest city in December, she has been confronted with a school strike and a historic tropical storm.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023
For thousands of years, the easygoing people at the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers have lived with raging floods and tropical storms.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Nov. 2023
Even when Otis was still a tropical storm, there was enough evidence for Mexico’s government to issue a warning showing a stronger storm than the computer models were predicting.
—Derrick Bryson Taylor, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tropical storm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1809, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near tropical storm
Cite this Entry
“Tropical storm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tropical%20storm. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
tropical storm
noun
: a cyclone in or originating in the tropics that has very strong winds of less than hurricane strength
More from Merriam-Webster on tropical storm
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tropical storm
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