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wind shear
noun
: a radical shift in wind speed and direction that occurs over a very short distance
Examples of wind shear in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s plenty of wind shear in the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico at the moment, but Milton is too far south to be much affected by it.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024
That perfect combination—of hot seas, humid air, and little wind shear—is being aided by Milton’s path through the Gulf of Mexico’s western part, which hasn’t seen much major storm activity yet this season.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024
Tornado formation is a product of moist air, an unstable atmosphere, and wind shear, meaning changes in wind speed over a short distance.
—Danish Bajwa, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2024
Due to warm water and an otherwise favorable environment with high levels of storm-nurturing moisture and low levels of storm-killing wind shear, there is high confidence that Helene will be the third of four landfalling U.S. hurricanes so far this year to rapidly intensify.
—David Yeomans, CBS News, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wind shear
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wind shear.' 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
1941, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near wind shear
Cite this Entry
“Wind shear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wind%20shear. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
wind shear
noun
: a radical shift in wind speed and direction that occurs over a very short distance
More from Merriam-Webster on wind shear
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wind shear
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