cold wave

noun

Definition of cold wavenext
as in cold
a weather condition marked by low temperatures the unseasonable cold wave in the Northeast has already put a strain on oil supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 cold wave In Minneapolis, the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but protesters calling for ICE to leave Minnesota on Saturday still faced an outdoor temperature of minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 21 Celsius). — Thomas Peipert, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026 There are two cold waves that will begin to push toward Colorado between now and the weekend. — Dave Aguilera, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026 Deadly snowstorms and cold waves have hammered the eastern third of the country. — Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 5 Jan. 2026 Travelers and residents should stay informed about forecast changes, particularly as storm tracks and cold wave durations remain uncertain. — Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cold wave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold wave
  1. cold
  2. freeze
Noun
  • Another return visit to the Symphony in 2013 left Kosman cold.
    — Tom Huizenga, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The brutal cold of Sweden’s winters is well documented, but Stockholm has a knack for bringing some special magic even to its gloomiest season.
    — Isabelle Kliger, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of cold
Noun
  • Georgia Power and the PSC later agreed to rate freezes and said new rules by the commission will protect ratepayers from absorbing costs to serve data centers.
    — Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But apart from that, in practice there’s not a whole lot that Congress can do to hurt the oil industry; the more tangible actions tend to come from the executive branch, like former US President Joe Biden’s freeze on LNG terminals.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of freeze

Browse Nearby Words

cold wars
cold wave
coleader
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cold wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20wave. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gauntlet

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All