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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as in tumbles
to fall down in a large mass
The snow avalanched down the mountainside.
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Recent Examples of avalanches
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Apr. 2026
What to do in an earthquake Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Mark Price
april 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 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
Last month, at least five people, including an American, were killed in a string of avalanches in western Austria.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
This season has seen an unusually high number of death from avalanches.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Noun
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Apr. 2026
What to do in an earthquake Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Mark Price
april 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 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
Last month, at least five people, including an American, were killed in a string of avalanches in western Austria.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
This season has seen an unusually high number of death from avalanches.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avalanches
Noun
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Southeast Alaska, largely encompassed by a temperate rainforest, is no stranger to landslides.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Several commercial outfits have recently announced big funding influxes aimed at speeding up the development and launch of new orbiting outposts.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The titans of the industry have started investing heavily in purchasing elections through massive influxes of cash.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Frothy water tumbles over sandstone and rock, creating challenging rapids with ominous names like Dragon's Tooth and Hell's Gate.—
Joie Probst,
Midwest Living,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The video shows the plane colliding with the truck, going over the vehicle, which tumbles beneath the jet.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Wetlands work as barriers that soak up water from floods and storms, Neill says.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Yet, parts of Houston suffered another 1,000-year event the following year when remnants of Hurricane Harvey stalled over the city in 2017, and Houston has seen other 500-year floods in recent years.—
Dominic Boyer,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And in places where sewage and rain flow through the same pipes, heavy rains made worse by climate change can make overflows to waterways more frequent and severe.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The overflows have triggered a number of recreational and shellfish harvesting advisories along the Potomac.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
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Pair these with sneakers, slides, or heels for a more elevated look.—
Annita Katee,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2026
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Arriving to the valley, the Kylie Cosmetics mogul wore a green Skylrk tank emblazoned with Justin Bieber flipping the bird, Skylrk blue beach slides, a bucket hat, and black cycling shorts.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even moderate rainfall can quickly transform these waterways into destructive torrents that overflow into nearby townships, including Friendswood and League City.—
Dominic Boyer,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Wandering through the wash, the mind drifts not to the film but to the flash floods that move through this channel after heavy rains, sudden torrents cutting and reshaping the valley floor in a matter of hours.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Avalanches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avalanches. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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