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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One of the many unsettling images to emerge from the recent ICE surge in Minneapolis was that of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, in his blue bunny hat, standing in the January cold with the hand of a federal officer gripping his Spider-Man backpack.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Blast of Arctic cold on Saturday The WJZ First Alert Weather Team has upgraded Saturday to a First Alert Weather Day for strong, powerful wind gusts, numbing temperatures, and dangerously low wind-chills.—
Steven Sosna,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Mulch also helps prevent frost heaving in climates where freeze/thaw cycles occur regularly.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
31 Jan. 2026
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This will be a damaging freeze for Florida, with wind chills hovering in the single digits across northern parts of the state and in the teens across central Florida.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cold wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cold%20wave. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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