avalanches 1 of 2

noun

plural of avalanche
1
as in landslides
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 influxes
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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avalanches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of avalanche
as in tumbles
to fall down in a large mass The snow avalanched down the mountainside.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of avalanches
Noun
Mountaineering accidents are common in northern Pakistan, where climbers face hazards including avalanches, falling ice and rock, extreme altitude and rapidly changing weather. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 Residents from the region spoke to her about dealing with avalanches, floods and landslides in their isolated home. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 July 2026 Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026 Analysis of past avalanche accidents has indicated that larger group sizes (4 or more people) have higher chances of being caught in avalanches. — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026 Europe has been hit by a string of avalanches this winter. — CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026 More than 40 backcountry explorers saw avalanches on various Colorado mountain ranges between Friday and Sunday, according to field reports submitted to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2026 In the French Alps alone, avalanches have killed 28 people since the first fatal accident of the winter on December 26, according to EAWS. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
Few things bridge South Florida cultures better than the mango, the juicy-sticky-sweet tropical tree fruit that avalanches our backyards all summer long. — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avalanches
  1. landslides
  2. influxes
  3. tumbles
  4. floods
  5. overflows
  6. skids
  7. slides
  8. torrents
Noun
  • Nathan Solothurnmann, a climate and energy expert for Greenpeace Switzerland, says that climate change means landslides or avalanches will become more common.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Authorities said restoring electricity and communications, as well as delivering aid to remote villages isolated by landslides, were among the biggest challenges.
    — Firdia Lisnawati, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of landslides
Noun
  • But the study also found that huge influxes of money seldom led to a fundamental change in a winner’s mental state.
    — Nancy A. Youssef, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
  • By July 7, the competition will have shrunk to 16 teams, which is when host cities could see influxes of last-minute foreign arrivals.
    — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Definition of influxes
Verb
  • Front load washers are built with a horizontal drum that tumbles the clothes in each cycle.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Kris tumbles, scrambles up, and, in the movie’s best throwaway, apologizes to the advancing killer.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of tumbles
Noun
  • With less than 2% of California homes insured against floods, an El Niño winter is a timely reminder to explore coverage through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program.
    — Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The floods also altered the course of the White River, which is now flowing into the Martin Marietta quarry at 96th Street and Gray Road, which can hold millions of gallons of water.
    — John Tufts, IndyStar, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of floods
Noun
  • Weeks after overflows from Atlanta’s sewer tunnels contributed to the deaths of thousands of fish on the Chattahoochee River, the city’s Department of Watershed Management says its investigating another fish kill on a different river.
    — Drew Kann, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
  • As Connecticut’s climate changes, more frequent and intense storms have lead to more overflows.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026
Definition of overflows
Verb
  • The former is a ring on the bottom of the rock that skids across the ice, and the latter is a band around the sides of the rock that collides with other rocks (ideally knocking an opponent’s rock off the bull’s-eye or nudging your team’s closer to it).
    — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Cargo plane skids off runway in Hong Kong An Emirates Boeing 747 cargo plane skidded off the runway after arriving at Hong Kong International Airport and landed in the sea, according to airport authority.
    — Clara McMichael, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2025
Definition of skids
Noun
  • Instead of static presentations and slides, founders can demonstrate live services capable of registering users and simulating key use cases.
    — Ihor Hamal, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Depending on the school and the child’s grade, some teachers follow a set agenda, with presentation slides, packets or lists of topics to cover.
    — Cheyanne Mumphrey, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of slides
Noun
  • Total rainfall of nearly 3 feet was expected on the higher windward slopes, turning rivers into raging torrents and threatening mudslides.
    — Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Citizens poured out torrents of letters to editors complaining of Holmes’s fate.
    — Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of torrents

Browse Nearby Words

avalanched
avalanches
avalanching
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Cite this Entry

“Avalanches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avalanches. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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