1
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a paroxysm of laughter greeted the pratfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
Darwin's introduction of the theory of evolution created paroxysms in both religion and science that are still being felt today
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paroxysm
Even the Wimbledon crowd went into paroxysms for Andy Murray — after the points were over.
—
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Before becoming vice president, Senator JD Vance’s introduction of a bill to raise the tax on large endowments from 1.4% to 35% for universities with endowments larger than $10 billion sent the right-side of social media world into paroxysms of ecstasy.
—Adrian Wooldridge, Twin Cities, 6 May 2025
Wilson’s idealistic vision of a new U.S. role in the world collapsed in a paroxysm of partisanship.
—Charles A. Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
The 55-year-old electrical engineer at the center of this postal paroxysm was an improbable target.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Sep. 2014
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Before becoming vice president, Senator JD Vance’s introduction of a bill to raise the tax on large endowments from 1.4% to 35% for universities with endowments larger than $10 billion sent the right-side of social media world into paroxysms of ecstasy.
—Adrian Wooldridge, Twin Cities, 6 May 2025
Wilson’s idealistic vision of a new U.S. role in the world collapsed in a paroxysm of partisanship.
—Charles A. Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
The 55-year-old electrical engineer at the center of this postal paroxysm was an improbable target.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Sep. 2014
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysm
Noun
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After an accidental explosion in a West Village bomb factory killed three Weathermen, those who survived, shaken by their friends’ deaths, swore off deadly violence.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Journalists heard several explosions from the direction of the Hezbollah stronghold, which Israel has repeatedly struck since war began.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the wake of Republican defeats in a string of special elections − including a Democratic victory in the Florida state house race to represent the president's home district − the record-setting protests were one more omen of upheaval ahead in November's midterm elections.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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That gave Schiaparelli’s clothing a sense of relevance in pre-World War II Europe’s cultural upheaval and aesthetically traditionalist Paris — a methodology that Roseberry has picked up.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Risks are higher during periods of greater solar activity, which follows an 11-year cycle that researchers track by tallying the dark sunspots that represent magnetic storms capable of producing outbursts.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
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No one, not even Jason — who is baffled at the galley’s sudden collapse — is more surprised at Ellie’s outburst than Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When a white suburban jury acquitted the LAPD officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King, protesters spilled into the Slot and set the nearby landmark palm trees on fire — a precursor for the unrest to come.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
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So when, in December 2025, thousands of ICE agents descended upon the Twin Cities, initiating two months of unrest and violence, restaurants were not at the forefront of the headlines, but acutely absorbing its impact.—
David Farley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In that last year — like the end of a fireworks show — the lawyers set off a burst of filings and arguments over what evidence and which experts could go in front of a jury.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Such districts are often formed when a school district is experiencing a burst of development or enrollment growth concentrated in certain areas, explained Erica Gonzales, a managing director at the investment bank Stifel who specializes in California school financing.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fidel Castro led Cuba for nearly five decades after the communist revolution in 1959, nationalizing industry on the island and bringing Havana close to the then-Soviet Union before handing power to his brother, Raúl Castro.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The move away from the revolution’s traditional red toward softer colors signals not a rupture, but a recalibration.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The last eruption of nationwide gatherings in October drew approximately 7 million people, according to their tally.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Mar. 2026
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Aurora chasers will also be getting excited about the prospect of a possible glancing blow from the speedy CME released during the eruption.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The country, meanwhile, was experiencing a series of convulsions.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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Brain swelling from encephalitis can lead to convulsions, permanent hearing loss, intellectual disability and death, according to the CDC.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paroxysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysm. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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