as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed
he made a lightning dash for the goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning
Adjective
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
22 Oct. 2025 -
The rapid growth of Kalshi, which is federally regulated by the CFTC as a futures exchange, has already tested much of the legal betting status quo.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Most of the song, the pre-chorus, chorus, all that stuff, that was really quick.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Raptors’ 34-11 advantage in fast-break points was the biggest reason for that.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The Fix Our Forests Act will help to unleash the conservation prowess of ranchers by limiting frivolous litigation and streamlining government processes to reduce fuel loads on the landscape at a much faster pace.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Zone 2 cardio is moderate-intensity exercise—like brisk walking or cycling—done at about 60% to 70% of your max heart rate.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The 12-time Academy Award nominee and the model both bundled up for brisk weather, as both Cooper and Hadid wore coats, sunglasses and Cooper capped a beanie over his head.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As his health faded in the last year of his life, Neruda rushed to finish his story, which gives the last chapters of his book a galloping, fragmented quality.—
Tunku Varadarajan,
WSJ,
25 June 2021
-
Designed by renowned architect Dominique Perrault, its four stories tilting forward are said to evoke a galloping horse.—
Rob Hodgetts at Longchamp,
CNN,
15 Oct. 2019
Adjective
-
Right now, Atlas’s agent mode remains slow and, at times, frustrating; given many more user interactions to train on, future versions could become swift and convenient.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
-
This shortfall means that, barring swift congressional action, states will lack funding to process or distribute SNAP funds after October.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Lightning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share