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
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
The greatest chance of brief downpours on Saturday will arrive in the afternoon and early evening.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Our area is under the lowest risk level for severe weather through Wednesday, with the main threats being hail and heavy downpours.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 4 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
Waterlogged soil from snowmelt and early season downpours mean flash flooding can happen fast, even from storms that don’t look all that bad on weather radar, according to the weather service.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
These storms are currently forecast to produce severe wind damage and downpours that could cause flooding.
—Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 26 Feb. 2026
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
Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
The greatest chance of brief downpours on Saturday will arrive in the afternoon and early evening.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Our area is under the lowest risk level for severe weather through Wednesday, with the main threats being hail and heavy downpours.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 4 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
Waterlogged soil from snowmelt and early season downpours mean flash flooding can happen fast, even from storms that don’t look all that bad on weather radar, according to the weather service.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
These storms are currently forecast to produce severe wind damage and downpours that could cause flooding.
—Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 26 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downpours
Noun
-
For warm-season grasses, this occurs in late spring to early summer, when air and soil temperatures are warm and seasonal rains plentiful.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Heavy rains in 2024 led to the boom.—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
It could be repurposed to heat atmospheric moisture in storms.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Summertime in the southeastern Caribbean offers excellent conditions for snorkeling and scuba, but June through November is hurricane season, marked by warmer, wetter weather, even when there are no major storms in sight.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downpours.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downpours. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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