as in rains
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 cloudbursts
The storm, which hit the New York area in October, 2012, unlocked billions of dollars in resilience spending, with hurricanes, rather than heat waves or cloudbursts, as the focus.
—
Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The whole experience tasted of the sea and the end of summer, punctuated by soft little cloudbursts on the palate.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
Heavy rain is not uncommon in South Asia this time of year, but experts largely agree that the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts have increased in recent years, in part due to climate change.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
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
Uttarakhand, the mountainous northern state that hosts Dharali, has been devastated by cloudbursts before.
—ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
The whole experience tasted of the sea and the end of summer, punctuated by soft little cloudbursts on the palate.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
Heavy rain is not uncommon in South Asia this time of year, but experts largely agree that the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts have increased in recent years, in part due to climate change.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
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
Uttarakhand, the mountainous northern state that hosts Dharali, has been devastated by cloudbursts before.
—ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloudbursts
Noun
-
The entire squad, coaches and backroom staff are jumping up and down on the podium as gold confetti rains down on them.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Although recent rains have helped improve conditions slightly, particularly over parts of the panhandle, according to DaSilva, drought conditions in much of the state are still severe.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
This is accepted standard practice in the region, but the baterias often overflow during storms, sending water rich in heavy metals into the streams that feed the Caqueta river.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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The weather pattern has already brought some showers to Northern California, where additional storms are expected all week, according to the weather service.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cloudbursts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloudbursts. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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