as in rain
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity
the weatherman warned of possible cloudbursts in the afternoon
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Recent Examples of cloudburst
Warmer air soaks up water like a sponge, and all this extra moisture can result in extreme rain and sudden downpours like cloudbursts, especially when that air meets the mountains.
—
Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
Such cloudbursts are increasingly common in India’s Himalayan regions and Pakistan’s northern areas, and experts have said climate change is a contributing factor.
—Muhammad Sajjad, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
The flash flooding was caused by a rare weather event called a cloudburst, a sudden, heavy downpour where an unusually large amount of rain falls in a short period of time, according to Indian weather officials.
—ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
The flood began in the early afternoon after a cloudburst caused the Kheerganga river to swell, leading muddy water to inundate the village in Uttarkashi district and surrounding areas, according to the BBC.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cloudburst
Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
Such cloudbursts are increasingly common in India’s Himalayan regions and Pakistan’s northern areas, and experts have said climate change is a contributing factor.
—Muhammad Sajjad, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
The flash flooding was caused by a rare weather event called a cloudburst, a sudden, heavy downpour where an unusually large amount of rain falls in a short period of time, according to Indian weather officials.
—ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
The flood began in the early afternoon after a cloudburst caused the Kheerganga river to swell, leading muddy water to inundate the village in Uttarkashi district and surrounding areas, according to the BBC.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cloudburst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloudburst
Noun
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But extreme warmth across the West this winter has meant more precipitation falling as rain, not snow — a symptom of global warming, experts say, which in recent years has been pushing average snow lines higher in the mountains and changing the timing of runoff.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Turtlehead is the perfect choice for bog or rain gardens or alongside koi ponds and waterfalls.—
Lynn McAlpine,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Restaurateur Roni Mazumdar and chef/partner Chintan Pandya have taken the city’s dining scene by storm with an array of restaurants that celebrate India’s diverse cuisines.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
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If China pulls this off, then the tech could allegedly offer a perpetual fountain of clean energy while potentially turning the destructive storms into manageable weather events.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cloudburst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloudburst. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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