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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in tumbles
to fall down in a large mass
The snow avalanched down the mountainside.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 22 Mar. 2026
In early February, just as Italy was hosting the Winter Olympics, a record 13 skiers had died on the slopes during one week, including 10 in avalanches.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 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
Noun
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 22 Mar. 2026
In early February, just as Italy was hosting the Winter Olympics, a record 13 skiers had died on the slopes during one week, including 10 in avalanches.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avalanches
Noun
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, a powerful atmospheric river has been lashing Hawaii with relentless rain over the past five days, causing widespread flash flooding and landslides.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 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
-
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
-
There's something so timeless and romantic about hair that almost audibly tumbles down one's back.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Resident Dave Levy said his basement continues to be ravaged by floods on and off over the past five years.—
Dave Savini,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
An ominous, inexplicable sound that floods dread into your every waking step, and that will eventually drive you to suicide or murder?—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 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
-
For families, the Roxity Kids Club has daily activities for ages four to 12, and the Rockaway Bay water park is one of the country's best, with slides for younger children and six high-speed slides for teens and grown-ups.—
Sheryl Nance Nash,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The center now features an eight lane, 50-meter competition pool, three diving boards, two 125-foot slides and a lazy river.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Excessive rain caused torrents of water to wash out homes, damage roads, and threaten to burst a dam, sparking an emergency evacuation of thousands in Oahu on March 20.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Lightning made the sky as bright as day, the thunder was a continuous crash, and torrents of rain poured down.—
Doris DeCleene,
Outdoor Life,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Avalanches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avalanches. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
