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gale

noun

ˈgāl How to pronounce gale (audio)
Definition of galenext
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling the audience responded to the comedian's joke with gales of laughter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 gale The blaze raged through pine forests and scrubland through the weekend, whipped by gale force winds that often prevented water-dropping planes from operating. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 Winds cripple aerial firefighting Nearly 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft were deployed, but gale-force winds drove flames through dry forest and crippled the response, preventing some aircraft from reaching the sea to collect water. — Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 The nightjar carries it lightly But the world’s heavy as a lamp in a gale. — Rowan Ricardo Phillips, The New York Review of Books, 1 Aug. 2026 In Greece, hundreds of firefighters fought Saturday to protect Porto Germeno, a popular resort on the Gulf of Corinth, as gale-force winds drove flames through the coastal area between Athens and Thebes. — Thomas Adamson, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gale
  1. explosion
  2. burst
  3. gust
  4. outburst
  5. eruption
  6. flash
  7. blaze
  8. storm
Noun
  • There’s been an explosion that has caused a giant ice shelf dubbed Judy, one roughly the size of Boston, to detach.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Blowing up a nuclear bomb in space would first destroy or disable any nearby satellites, and then the damage would spread as electronics-frying energetic particles from the explosion contaminated huge swaths of orbit.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of explosion
Noun
  • Launched in 2004, the $364 million observatory is designed to pivot quickly -- as its name suggests -- to capture gamma ray bursts, exploding stars and other fast-breaking cosmic action.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The machines typically used to compress fuel must deliver enormous bursts of energy with exceptional precision.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of burst
Noun
  • Tidal surges swamped low-lying neighborhoods in New Jersey while wind gusts toppled trees on New York’s Long Island, damaging homes and bringing down utility poles.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The material also has a waterproof rating of 5,000mm-plus, a wind resistance of up to 50-mph gusts, and UPF 100 protection for blocking harsh sunrays.
    — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of gust
Noun
  • But her mental instability was becoming increasingly apparent, leading to outbursts at work and home.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The Bears’ historic 59-point Week 1 outburst means the public is likely to pour money into the over, so this is a great spot to zig when the betting public zags.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of outburst
Noun
  • If the caldera had collapsed after the eruption, the landslide deposits should lie on top of the pyroclastic layers.
    — Yook Ji Hun, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Charred to a crisp during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in AD 79, hundreds of papyrus scrolls lie tucked away unread in Italy’s National Library of Naples.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of eruption
Noun
  • While high winds are expected, the main concern is flash flooding, said John Bravender, a weather service warning coordination meteorologist, during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
    — MEGAN JANETSKY, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The cinematic video features a flash of 13 scenes (of course), including one close-up shot that shows Swift looking emotional with very little makeup except maybe a coat of mascara.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of flash
Noun
  • Instead, an executive at the technician’s company, Pearce Services, called investigators and said the worker saw one solar panel melted and another on fire in the early moments of the blaze before Lineage knew what was happening.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • But none quite managed to fully extinguish the blaze, which is why the grand prize ultimately remained out of reach in this track as well.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of blaze
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Hurricane Nolo could still bring torrential rain to parts of Hawaii even as the storm edged away from the state.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • It’s been a busy season for Pacific storms Storm activity in the Pacific has been above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season, according to National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec.
    — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of storm

Browse Nearby Words

galaxy
gale
galère
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gale. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gale

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gale

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