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
While widespread flooding is not expected, forecasters say heavier downpours could still cause some water to collect in low-lying or poorly drained areas.
—
Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, a cold front along the East Coast from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast could produce heavy downpours on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning from Philadelphia to New York City, and up through New England.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
The original pipe and pump plan was also designed for more intense and less common rainfall events while the injection well system was designed for smaller, more common downpours.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Today will be soggy for the NFL, especially in the morning with rain and a few heavy downpours.
—Mary Ours, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Florida is also expected to face more above-average fire activity through at least June, when the summer’s rainy season ramps up to bring relieving downpours.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
What Seattle actually gets are persistent light drizzles, not downpours.
—Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
This particular weather system, despite bringing a sustained rain event, produced only mostly light to moderate rainfall rather than intense downpours.
—Anthony Franze, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Apr. 2026
Florida is also expected to face more above-average fire activity through at least June, when the summer’s rainy season ramps up to bring relieving downpours.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, a cold front along the East Coast from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast could produce heavy downpours on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning from Philadelphia to New York City, and up through New England.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
The original pipe and pump plan was also designed for more intense and less common rainfall events while the injection well system was designed for smaller, more common downpours.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Today will be soggy for the NFL, especially in the morning with rain and a few heavy downpours.
—Mary Ours, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Florida is also expected to face more above-average fire activity through at least June, when the summer’s rainy season ramps up to bring relieving downpours.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
What Seattle actually gets are persistent light drizzles, not downpours.
—Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
This particular weather system, despite bringing a sustained rain event, produced only mostly light to moderate rainfall rather than intense downpours.
—Anthony Franze, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Apr. 2026
Florida is also expected to face more above-average fire activity through at least June, when the summer’s rainy season ramps up to bring relieving downpours.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downpours
Noun
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Spring rains and winter snowmelt have swelled rivers and lakes, forcing torrents of water through Cheboygan County communities on its way to Lake Huron.—
Sarah Brumfield,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
New Braunfels has reopened public access to the Comal River after this week’s heavy rains raised concerns about the waterway flooding.—
Ricardo Delgado,
San Antonio Express-News,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some storms could produce hail larger than 3 inches in diameter, especially with stronger rotating cells.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Hail damage contributed to $51 billion in insured losses last year from severe storms, according to the Insurance Information Institute.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downpours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downpours. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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