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
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Recent Examples of cold wave
The pattern of cold waves over Dec. 5 and 6 and those expected beyond that are forecast to drop temperatures well below the normal average, said Paul Pastelok, a long-range meteorologist for AccuWeather.
—
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
A lot of existing NewSeed crops wilted in a heat wave or got frosted in a cold wave or got drowned in a wave wave.
—Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
These consisted of 17 severe storms (tornado outbreaks, high wind, hailstorms), 5 tropical cyclones, and 2 winter storm-cold waves, a wildfire and 1 drought/heatwave.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
According to historical trends from the National Weather Service (NWS), similar cold waves have often coincided with high-pressure systems that funnel Arctic air into the mid-Atlantic region.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cold wave
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
A lot of existing NewSeed crops wilted in a heat wave or got frosted in a cold wave or got drowned in a wave wave.
—Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
These consisted of 17 severe storms (tornado outbreaks, high wind, hailstorms), 5 tropical cyclones, and 2 winter storm-cold waves, a wildfire and 1 drought/heatwave.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
According to historical trends from the National Weather Service (NWS), similar cold waves have often coincided with high-pressure systems that funnel Arctic air into the mid-Atlantic region.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cold wave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cold wave
Noun
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At least 50 people had been reported dead in states afflicted by the dangerous cold.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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Extreme cold made the O-rings fail, but NASA’s culture was just as blameworthy and needed a retrofit more urgently than any piece of shuttle hardware.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The deep freeze that changed Texas The February 2021 winter storm brought a historic arctic outbreak across Texas, with multiple rounds of snow and days of sustained subfreezing temperatures.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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For southern states less equipped for the cold, the forecast sparks fears of a repeat of the 2021 Texas freeze or the bitterly cold winter storm that battered New Orleans in January 2025.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cold wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20wave. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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