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
Both storms—one from March 10 to 16 and the second from March 19 to 23—were classified as kona low storms, a seasonal weather pattern that can bring sudden shifts, including heavy downpours, flash floods, intense winds, and thunderstorms.
—
Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
Strong to severe thunderstorms could slam the Kansas City area twice in the coming days, bringing damaging winds, torrential downpours, and a chance of isolated tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.
—Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding downpours are all possible.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
According to SnowBrains, Lake Tahoe is now sitting well above its typical winter level, a development water managers view as encouraging in a region that frequently oscillates between drought and downpours.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
There is also the possibility for heavy downpours, with as much as one and a half inches of rain falling, which could cause flooding issues, especially in low-lying areas and on roads.
—Laura Bannon, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
There were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries, but authorities said hundreds of homes on Oahu's North Shore had been damaged by last week's flooding, which came as heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week earlier.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
There were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries, but authorities said hundreds of homes on Oahu’s North Shore were damaged by the flooding, which came as heavy rain fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week earlier.
—Audrey McAvoy, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Hawaii suffered its worst flooding in more than 20 years as heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, officials said Friday while warning that still more rain was expected during the weekend.
—Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
Strong to severe thunderstorms could slam the Kansas City area twice in the coming days, bringing damaging winds, torrential downpours, and a chance of isolated tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.
—Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding downpours are all possible.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
According to SnowBrains, Lake Tahoe is now sitting well above its typical winter level, a development water managers view as encouraging in a region that frequently oscillates between drought and downpours.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
There is also the possibility for heavy downpours, with as much as one and a half inches of rain falling, which could cause flooding issues, especially in low-lying areas and on roads.
—Laura Bannon, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
There were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries, but authorities said hundreds of homes on Oahu's North Shore had been damaged by last week's flooding, which came as heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week earlier.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
There were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries, but authorities said hundreds of homes on Oahu’s North Shore were damaged by the flooding, which came as heavy rain fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week earlier.
—Audrey McAvoy, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Hawaii suffered its worst flooding in more than 20 years as heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, officials said Friday while warning that still more rain was expected during the weekend.
—Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downpours
Noun
-
Flooding events have affected 21 counties and at least two rivers have burst their banks since heavy rains started earlier this month.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Summer monsoon storms stayed away, while winter rains fizzled.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Even minor changes in clouds, wind or storms can force delays, especially for a mission of this scale.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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For people living along the coast, sand also defends against intense storms and sea level rise fueled by climate change.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downpours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downpours. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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