1
as in landslide
a large mass especially of snow, ice, dirt, or rocks descending from a high place
Much of the mountainside was covered by the avalanche.
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2
as in influx
a sudden large amount of something that overwhelms
After the disaster, the town received an avalanche of letters and donations from supporters and well-wishers.
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as in to fall
to fall down in a large mass
The snow avalanched down the mountainside.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of avalanche
Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
An avalanche on Monday swept through a camp in Nepal, killing five foreign climbers and two Nepali guides, officials said.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Shanti Lerner, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2021
The distinctive light green of aspen leaves in summer, set off from the deep greens of conifers such as lodgepole pines, frequently marks the zones where winter snow is unstable and tends to avalanche.
—Michael C Grant, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for avalanche
Noun
An avalanche that crashed through a camp on Nepal’s Mount Yalung Ri on Monday has killed at least three people, with four foreign climbers still missing, officials said.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
An avalanche on Monday swept through a camp in Nepal, killing five foreign climbers and two Nepali guides, officials said.
—Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
And many of those paths, some of which are accessible from the Humphreys Peak trail, will avalanche every year.
—Shanti Lerner, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2021
The distinctive light green of aspen leaves in summer, set off from the deep greens of conifers such as lodgepole pines, frequently marks the zones where winter snow is unstable and tends to avalanche.
—Michael C Grant, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for avalanche
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avalanche
Noun
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Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Nov. 2025
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In his first year of eligibility, Brett was a landslide choice for the Baseball Hall of Fame.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Even though the influx of new players is exciting, Ramo says producers shouldn’t let their guard down.—
Gregg Goldstein,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
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But, according to Keenan, climate change has essentially stopped growth in southward movement, and northern cities are seeing fewer outflows and greater influxes of people.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Two things happened on that blustery back-to-school morning that fell exactly a month after my eleventh birthday.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Midway through the third quarter, true freshman linebacker Mason Posa, buried on the depth chart just weeks ago, ripped the ball loose at Washington’s 7-yard line and fell on it himself.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
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During a flood-the-zone presidency, this seems like a sound strategy.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But the government also conducted emergency evacuations during the weekend after local authorities failed to plan ahead for flooding caused by the overflow of the Cauto del Paso dam, in the province of Granma, and the Cauto River, along Granma and Las Tunas.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
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That doesn’t include those held back for opponents’ fans, student overflow and other promotions that could be released for sale.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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To remind residents of winter driving hazards, the Michigan State Police posted a video on X demonstrating how to recover from skidding on a slippery road.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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Steer clear of puddles - Driving into puddles or low areas of rainwater can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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While those ships often have pools and spas, passengers won’t find the roller coasters, water slides and mini-golf courses common on larger vessels.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The pants have an elastic waistband and close by a slide-in clasp and zipper.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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News coming out of this administration feels like a mile a minute, and comments the president made months ago are easily buried in the deluge.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
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Hurricane Melissa’s devastation is the awful alchemy created by the unique combination of unstoppable gusts, seawater that is forced inland and deluge that pours out of the sky, all interacting with the landscape and human lives the storm found in its path.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Avalanche.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avalanche. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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