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 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 That strong southwesterly breeze has already led to a gale wind warning from the NWS for the north coast on Friday, and conditions will be only marginally better Sunday. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 31 July 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
  • One resident, Iryna Barisenkova, recalled hearing loud explosions while traveling on public transport.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Captain Dixon says thankfully things were much calmer on Monday compared to Sunday, when there were constant Mayday calls from a man overboard to a sinking vessel — even an explosion at a dock nearby as a boat was refueling.
    — Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of explosion
Noun
  • These are short, all-out bursts of exercise performed at an intensity higher than your maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂ max).
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Inflation eased in June and July, but a burst of on-again, off-again fighting in recent weeks caused crude prices to rise again.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of burst
Noun
  • The eastward shift increased the chances of hurricane-force wind gusts on Niihau and possibly Kauai, especially at higher elevations, the hurricane center warned.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Residents can expect winds to be southwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph and humidity as low as 8%.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of gust
Noun
  • There was a sense that only significant deals could stave off the double threat of the Austrian’s outbursts over transfers destabilising the team midway through the campaign and Palace tumbling into a relegation battle.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • According to Marco Tedesco, a geophysicist at Columbia University, the task of developing early warning systems for landslides, glacier collapse events and glacial outburst floods requires sustained effort.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of outburst
Noun
  • The Geology Agency cautioned that volcanic activity remains elevated and the probability of further eruptions is still high.
    — Niniek Karmini, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The volcano launched ash into the air and into the city of Jakarta and the Lampung province during a 25-hour-long eruption.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of eruption
Noun
  • The tribe, which requested a disaster declaration separately, was hit with flash flooding June 2-4 after a heavy rain and hail storm.
    — John Hult, States Newsroom, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But that terrible morning is still just a flash of memory away.
    — Jan Thacker, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of flash
Noun
  • Firefighters in South Fulton battled a large fire at a warehouse complex near Union City, with a blaze that reached two-alarm status Sunday but was contained within a few hours.
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Firefighters reportedly found no working alarm, no suppression system, and three dead hydrants; the safety documents they’re legally entitled to see reportedly burned up in the blaze.
    — Petala Ironcloud, ArsTechnica, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of blaze
Noun
  • It had been stored beneath an open-sided Florida carport when the storm's violent winds brought the structure crashing down onto it.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Saharan dust, a mass of dry, dusty air, can inhibit the development of tropical systems and storms.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 9 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 10 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gale

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gale

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