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
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2025
My view is that this is the first tiny snowball that is starting to roll down a snowy hill and soon will be a gigantic avalanche that everybody will be talking about.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 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
Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2025
My view is that this is the first tiny snowball that is starting to roll down a snowy hill and soon will be a gigantic avalanche that everybody will be talking about.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 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,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Many of the displaced settled in the mountains where the landslide occurred.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Officials need to prepare for an unpredictable influx of people from a mass shooting.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
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Amid an influx of trends, like the red pill movement, data shows that men are by and large putting off commitment for longer.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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National Weather Service meteorologists consider forecasting waterspouts during the late summer and fall whenever large, cool air masses overspread the waters of the Great Lakes.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Department of Buildings told CBS News New York and News 12 Long Island that a 10-by-10-inch section of the ceiling collapsed due to possible water damage, and pieces of the building fell on customers dining inside.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Among the schools was TCU, whose players and coaches also wore green ribbons on their lapels at Big 12 Media Days back in July, less than a week after the flood.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
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On Tuesday, 85 scientists released a 459-page rebuttal to the DOE report, highlighting a large body of scientific literature pointing to how climate change can exacerbate droughts, floods, crop failures, and other disasters.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This would prevent combined sewer overflows, which is when sewage floods area stormwater lines and deposits into local waterbodies.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
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Trosclair advises against using your bathroom for closet overflow or for storing out-of-season clothes that won’t be touched for months until the weather shifts.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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 Sep. 2025
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The vehicle began to skid, and a rear tire also blew out before the bus struck a ditch and turned over.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But Castellanos’ defensive metrics, which rank among the worst in the sport, along with a slide on offense over the past month, have made things untenable.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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In 2019, after witnessing a slide in its share price, Marks & Spencer lost its slot in the prestigious index, only to return in 2023.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Quench them with a copious deluge of water and stir to guarantee complete cooling.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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To overwhelmed oncologists confronting a deluge of literature, this might look like salvation.—
Anna Forsythe,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Avalanche.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avalanche. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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