as in rains
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity
the downpour was so heavy that we were soaked by the time we got to the car
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Recent Examples of downpours
Spotty showers will develop, and some downpours are possible.
—
Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Austin has seen its fair share of wild weather during this time of year, ranging from subfreezing nights to near triple-digit temperatures, along with heavy downpours, large hail and intense lightning storms — even during SXSW.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
Local outdoor weekend events There are several outdoor events in Miami-Dade and Broward that could do battle with the downpours.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Storms could produce damaging winds, large hail, lightning and torrential downpours.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s a chance for showers and isolated thunderstorms that can result in downpours later in the afternoon, Garch said.
—Elainie Barraza, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
Heavy downpours, especially in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, could also result in localized flash flooding.
—Melissa Griffin, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Isolated large hail, heavy downpours possible The first of what will be multiple rounds of thunderstorms returns overnight into Friday morning, the weather service said.
—Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Such torrential downpours, from loyalists and dissenters alike, often follow the deaths of notorious and long-ruling dictators—Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Saddam Hussein.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Austin has seen its fair share of wild weather during this time of year, ranging from subfreezing nights to near triple-digit temperatures, along with heavy downpours, large hail and intense lightning storms — even during SXSW.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
Local outdoor weekend events There are several outdoor events in Miami-Dade and Broward that could do battle with the downpours.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Storms could produce damaging winds, large hail, lightning and torrential downpours.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s a chance for showers and isolated thunderstorms that can result in downpours later in the afternoon, Garch said.
—Elainie Barraza, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
Heavy downpours, especially in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, could also result in localized flash flooding.
—Melissa Griffin, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Isolated large hail, heavy downpours possible The first of what will be multiple rounds of thunderstorms returns overnight into Friday morning, the weather service said.
—Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Such torrential downpours, from loyalists and dissenters alike, often follow the deaths of notorious and long-ruling dictators—Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Saddam Hussein.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downpours
Noun
-
Dangerous winds were but one piece of a wild weather mosaic that included heavy rains in Hawaii, triple-digit heat ahead in Phoenix and the return of winter cold to the Midwest and Northeast.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Dangerous winds are but one piece of a wild weather mosaic that includes heavy rains in Hawaii, triple-digit heat ahead in Phoenix and the return of winter cold to the Midwest and Northeast.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The most powerful storms tend to come in the later part of the season.—
David Goodhue
March 16,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The disruptions follow a chaotic Monday for air travel, triggered by powerful storms that dumped snow by the foot in the Midwest and swept through the eastern half of the country, leading to thousands of cancellations at major hubs, including in New York, Chicago and Atlanta.—
Emilie Megnien,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downpours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downpours. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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