tsunami
noun
tsu·na·mi
(t)su̇-ˈnä-mē 
plural tsunamis also tsunami
: a great sea wave produced especially by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption : tidal wave
Examples of tsunami in a Sentence
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Caught in the middle of this financial tsunami of stupid spending are schools like TCU, and so many others, that want to compete in Power Four football, need to win and can’t afford misses.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Dec. 2025
Following the retreat of South Sawyer Glacier, a landslide in southeast Alaska’s Tracy Arm in August 2025 generated a tsunami that swept across the narrow fjord and ran nearly 1,600 feet (nearly 490 meters) up the other side.
—Matthew L. Druckenmiller, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Friday's quake occurred off the east coast of Aomori prefecture, in the north of Honshu, the main Japanese island, at a depth of about 12 miles, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which issued a tsunami advisory that was lifted about two hours later.
—CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
According to seismic officials, the offshore quake did not trigger a new tsunami alert, and there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries as monitoring agencies assessed the impact.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tsunami
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Dec. 2025
Following the retreat of South Sawyer Glacier, a landslide in southeast Alaska’s Tracy Arm in August 2025 generated a tsunami that swept across the narrow fjord and ran nearly 1,600 feet (nearly 490 meters) up the other side.
—Matthew L. Druckenmiller, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Friday's quake occurred off the east coast of Aomori prefecture, in the north of Honshu, the main Japanese island, at a depth of about 12 miles, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which issued a tsunami advisory that was lifted about two hours later.
—CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
According to seismic officials, the offshore quake did not trigger a new tsunami alert, and there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries as monitoring agencies assessed the impact.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tsunami
Cite this Entry
“Tsunami.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tsunami. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tsunami
noun
tsu·na·mi
(t)su̇-ˈnäm-ē
: a great sea wave produced especially by an earthquake or volcanic eruption under the sea : tidal wave
Etymology
Japanese, from tsu "harbor" + nami "wave"
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