cloudbursts

plural of cloudburst
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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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloudbursts
Noun
  • Heavy monsoon rains battered parts of neighboring India, leaving over a dozen of people dead over the last few days.
    Ken Moritsugu, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The rains, once predictable, now arrive in erratic bursts that dump extreme amounts of water in short periods, followed by dry spells.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • Many countries, already facing political storms and serious fiscal problems, will struggle to meaningfully cut their welfare systems or change their spending models, said Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist at Capital Economics.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • Almost two years ago, China’s east coast was smacked by one of the strongest storms in decades, which temporarily halted container operations at both Shanghai and Ningbo ports.
    Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 8 July 2026

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“Cloudbursts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloudbursts. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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