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
Nearly 10,000 were affected by the downpours in recent days, including more than 3,200 people who were forced to move to emergency shelters or with relatives, Dayanghirang said.
—
Arkansas Online, 21 Feb. 2026
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
Arkansas Online, 21 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downpours
Noun
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Floods, landslides in Philippines kill 7 MANILA, Philippines -- Torrential rains set off two landslides that killed seven people and floods that displaced more than 3,000 villagers in the southeastern Philippines, officials said Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
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The mayor’s signature program was in Skid Row in Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s district providing assistance to homeless people during the heavy rains this week.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Though both storms are similar — with a major storm system lingering over the region for over a day and whipping the region with merciless hurricane-level winds, driving inch after inch of wet snow — what made the 1978 storm so devastating was the apparent suddenness of its arrival.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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McPhail said Home Depot's business was relatively stable throughout the year, including in the fourth quarter, when adjusting for storms.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downpours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downpours. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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