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
Managing rivers in a warming climate Meghan Quinn, California dam removal director at American Rivers, said the rupture underscores the risks that come with trying to manage rivers primarily through aging dams and pipelines in an era of more extreme swings between drought and downpours.
—
Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Storms could produce damaging wind gusts, frequent lightning, downpours, and an isolated tornado, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
The rainy end to Presidents Day weekend prompted Six Flags Magic Mountain to close its gates due to the forecast of heavy downpours and a threat of high winds in the Santa Clarita area.
—Ryanne Mena, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
In the San Francisco Bay Area, the day will be characterized by intermittent downpours and shifting winds, along with a slight chance of thunderstorms as the atmosphere becomes more unstable, forecasters said.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Damaging straight-line winds and heavy downpours are expected to pose the main threats.
—Brandi D. Addison, IndyStar, 3 Feb. 2026
The affected regions in southern Africa are no strangers to heavy downpours and flooding, but scientists were alarmed by the magnitude of the recent events.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
The rain is resulting from a slow-moving low-pressure system over the region, which repeatedly draws in moisture, causing intense downpours, per The Guardian.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
In both settings, rain comes down in short, intense downpours.
—Stephen Acabado, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026
Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Storms could produce damaging wind gusts, frequent lightning, downpours, and an isolated tornado, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
The rainy end to Presidents Day weekend prompted Six Flags Magic Mountain to close its gates due to the forecast of heavy downpours and a threat of high winds in the Santa Clarita area.
—Ryanne Mena, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
In the San Francisco Bay Area, the day will be characterized by intermittent downpours and shifting winds, along with a slight chance of thunderstorms as the atmosphere becomes more unstable, forecasters said.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Damaging straight-line winds and heavy downpours are expected to pose the main threats.
—Brandi D. Addison, IndyStar, 3 Feb. 2026
The affected regions in southern Africa are no strangers to heavy downpours and flooding, but scientists were alarmed by the magnitude of the recent events.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
The rain is resulting from a slow-moving low-pressure system over the region, which repeatedly draws in moisture, causing intense downpours, per The Guardian.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
In both settings, rain comes down in short, intense downpours.
—Stephen Acabado, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downpours
Noun
-
See the valleys wake up and blossom in the spring, watch the rains turn everything green in the summer, enjoy crisp fall weather and changing leaves or play in the snow in the winter.—
Becky Bartkowski,
AZCentral.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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But those trees remain, and a fresh blanket of leaves and grass has sprouted after recent rains.—
Christine Lennon,
Architectural Digest,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This week’s storms are especially welcome because the statewide snowpack has been lagging after weeks of unusually warm, dry weather.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Colorado is heading into a rare week where fire danger, damaging winds and winter storms are all colliding, creating hazards across nearly every part of the state at different times.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downpours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downpours. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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