epidemic 1 of 2

as in infectious
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others the little girl's giggles were epidemic, and soon the entire gathering was laughing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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epidemic

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of epidemic
Adjective
His 2021 report on the overdose epidemic at the base prompted five senators to petition the Pentagon to launch its own investigation into the crisis. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025 This summer, at the International AIDS Society conference, came news of an exciting new development in the the ongoing effort to bring the epidemic to an end. David Cox, NPR, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
More than two millennia later, health officials are paying new attention to this old condition for a startling reason: myopia has reached epidemic levels worldwide. Gary Stix, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024 The number of colleges cutting back programs, merging and closing has reached epidemic proportions. Scott White, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for epidemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epidemic
Adjective
  • Team productivity decreases across the board, and worse, disengagement becomes infectious.
    Alora Bopray, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • This year has also seen the largest measles outbreak since the highly infectious virus was declared eliminated from the country in 2000.
    Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The decision stems from a class action lawsuit filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the financial struggles of disabled individuals who lost part-time jobs.
    Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Under the previous deal, the bonds were tied up with gate revenues, which took a hit during the pandemic, so the club’s owners — via Lewis — refinanced the loans, incurring a £32m break cost to end the loan sooner than planned.
    Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Around the time of this flip, solar activity gradually ramps up, causing more solar eruptions like solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The tour also visits Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar’s only inhabited island, and the lava fields created by the 1973 volcanic eruption.
    Mia Taylor, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In 2003, the city of Chicago participated in TOPOFF 2, a national terrorism response exercise simulating a radiological attack in Seattle and the release of pneumonic plague in Chicago.
    Lauren Buitta, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Fantasy romance trilogy The Magic of the Lost barrels to its epic conclusion, following The Faithless’ one-two punch of the Withering plague returning to Balladaire and queen Luca asking soldier Touraine to be her general and her wife.
    Natalie Zutter September 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The more massive stars can produce heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, all the way up to iron, in a sequence of fusion reactions that end in a supernova explosion.
    Luke Keller, Space.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • But two years ago, as the latest wave of artificial intelligence began reshaping education, Leskovec told Fortune he was rocked by the explosion of his field into the mainstream.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • While pestilence crept over the walls of cities and the countryside fell into desolation—many foreign conquerors of Europe knew how to fight and plunder but not to plow or sow—the monks preserved words.
    Bernd Roeck June 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
  • In recent years, the censorship and false narratives of woke cancel culture have transformed our great universities into greenhouses for this deadly and virulent pestilence.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Excess cash from its investments in gas production, an upswing in oil prices, or monetizing its assets via structures like last month’s $11 billion deal with BlackRock, offer potential upside.
    Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Fine dining overall has seen a significant upswing over the past few years, Circana foodservice analyst David Portalatin told CNBC, as a post-pandemic appetite for a dining experience beyond just food has seen a boom.
    Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, the West Coast may see continued increases ahead in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada due to seasonal refinery maintenance and the shutdown of a refinery in Southern California, which will keep supply tight.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
  • But an increase in appreciation and funding isn’t the only thing needed to improve special education.
    IndyStar, IndyStar, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Epidemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epidemic. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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