1
as in turbulent
marked by sudden or violent disturbance
the assassination of Martin Luther King was one of the most convulsive events of the 1960s
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
after a day of convulsive trading, the stock market was down 300 points
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of convulsive
The buck took a convulsive jump that carried him about 30 ft. and piled up.
—
Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2025
During the past six months, Bondi has presided over the most convulsive transition of power in the Justice Department since the Watergate era, and perhaps in the hundred-and-fifty-five-year history of the department.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
But for anyone with a taste for operatic violence and fountains of blood as shotgun and assault rifle blasts send bodies flying in slo-mo or dancing like convulsive marionettes, Gareth Evans’ gritty neo-noir will be just the ticket.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
In the middle of all this came a convulsive shock, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
—Adam Goldman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulsive
Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2025
During the past six months, Bondi has presided over the most convulsive transition of power in the Justice Department since the Watergate era, and perhaps in the hundred-and-fifty-five-year history of the department.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
But for anyone with a taste for operatic violence and fountains of blood as shotgun and assault rifle blasts send bodies flying in slo-mo or dancing like convulsive marionettes, Gareth Evans’ gritty neo-noir will be just the ticket.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
In the middle of all this came a convulsive shock, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
—Adam Goldman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulsive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulsive
Adjective
-
The area's geography of tall seaside cliffs and sharp mountain ridges can contribute to turbulent air and quick weather changes that pose hazards for aviation.—
JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Three people were killed when a tour helicopter broke apart near Honolulu in April 2019, and that December seven people died, including three children, when one crashed in turbulent weather near the Na Pali Coast.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Jessica Gorman delivered emotional remarks Saturday at a vigil in Yorktown Heights, New York, honoring her daughter — a Loyola University Chicago freshman whose life was cut short in what authorities describe as a sudden, violent attack.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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That’s a reference to what Duncan always intended, and rightly so, as a holistic approach to the problem of violent crime, involving not just violence interrupting by former gang members turned peacekeepers but better education and job opportunities for the young people most at risk.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Sierra Canyon used a ferocious press and got points from unexpected places, like 3-pointers from Stephen Kankole, dunks from Jordan Mize and 11 points with 10 assists from JJ Sati-Grier.—
Tarek Fattal,
Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Still, any attempt to use Harry Potter as a lens through which to view human decency can’t avoid the ferocious, half-blind dragon in the room.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Nothing except getting into fierce arguments with fellow-Jews, some would say, which Olitzky—who has a round, boyish face and a conciliatory manner—portrayed as a privilege rather than a burden.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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With one-of-a-kind offerings from the likes of Inglenook, Crocker & Starr, Amici Cellars, Peju, Long Meadow Ranch, and a collaboration between Dakota Shy and Detert Family Vineyards, bidding was fierce on Cabernet Franc.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Britain and France were furious—the canal carried oil and other goods that were vital to European economies—and determined to take back control.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Conservative hardliners in the House woke up furious that their Senate counterparts had passed a deal without ICE and Border Patrol funding in the dead of night.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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His other brother, Barry Voight, is a geologist who invented a formula to predict volcanic eruptions.—
Ryan Brennan
March 25,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Tonga is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the arc of seismic faults where much of the world’s earthquake and volcanic activity occurs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Rabies is a preventable viral disease that is most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Based on the rabid demand and explosive growth of Kylie Cosmetics, the company drew the attention of the business press.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Convulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulsive. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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