as in bursts
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the audience responded to the comedian's joke with gales of laughter
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Recent Examples of gales
Out in the ferocious gales of the North Sea, on the overcrowded routes of the Irish Sea and the English Channel, and off to the islands’ west, the wide Atlantic herself.
—
Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025
Such physical effects of wind are translatable; and so, most important of all, are the quarters from which the blasts or the breezes or the gales appear to come.
—Big Think, 18 Nov. 2025
Fifty years ago this month, the gales of November swallowed the SS Edmund Fitzgerald along with her crew of 29 men, one of the largest ships to go down on Lake Superior and the Great Lakes.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The threat of thunderstorms, gales, and violent lightning led to the cancellation of the final day of SailGP competition in Saint-Tropez.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Southern China also shuts down Southern China’s Hainan Island saw heavy rainfall and gales as the typhoon brushed past the island on Sunday.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 25 Aug. 2025
Strong winds were also a concern in areas where residents are accustomed to heavy rain, but not necessarily cyclone-strength gales.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
The front will have strong north to northeast winds behind it and prompt development of gales offshore of Tampico, Mexico through early Friday morning creating peak seas with 12- to 14-foot waves.
—Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2025
Winter gales and ice were a constant threat.
—Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 19 Dec. 2024
Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025
Such physical effects of wind are translatable; and so, most important of all, are the quarters from which the blasts or the breezes or the gales appear to come.
—Big Think, 18 Nov. 2025
Fifty years ago this month, the gales of November swallowed the SS Edmund Fitzgerald along with her crew of 29 men, one of the largest ships to go down on Lake Superior and the Great Lakes.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The threat of thunderstorms, gales, and violent lightning led to the cancellation of the final day of SailGP competition in Saint-Tropez.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Southern China also shuts down Southern China’s Hainan Island saw heavy rainfall and gales as the typhoon brushed past the island on Sunday.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 25 Aug. 2025
Strong winds were also a concern in areas where residents are accustomed to heavy rain, but not necessarily cyclone-strength gales.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
The front will have strong north to northeast winds behind it and prompt development of gales offshore of Tampico, Mexico through early Friday morning creating peak seas with 12- to 14-foot waves.
—Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2025
Winter gales and ice were a constant threat.
—Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 19 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gales
Noun
-
The storms that pummeled Southern California this week brought dramatic wind gusts, bursts of rain and lightning that set trees on fire, not to mention heavy snow.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Curlers need an intense training regimen, dedicated to sustaining them through short bursts of cardiovascular exercise (sweeping) and keeping their legs flexible and strong to support the deep lunge position adopted when hurling the stone.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Thermal runaway is a self-sustaining chain reaction where a little bit of pressure or heat starts producing even more heat, leading to a rapid rise in temperature that can trigger deadly fires or explosions.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The violence followed explosions in Kabul that Afghan officials blamed on Pakistan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Falling temperatures and gusty winds will occur behind the boundary with gusts upwards of 40 to 50 mph through the evening.—
Trey Fulbright,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Last year, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched an air travel civility campaign, noting that the FAA had seen a 400% increase of in-flight outbursts since 2019 and 13,800 unruly passenger incidents since 2021.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
With 2026 aligning with the roughly 80-year rhythm of past outbursts, however, astronomers have shifted some attention to late June.—
Michael d'Estries,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Serpell observes that even Pecola thrills to eruptions of beauty on a familiar rundown street that otherwise go unseen.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Black carbon has increased in recent decades with more ship traffic in the Arctic, and nearby Iceland has periodic volcanic eruptions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Heathcliff arrives too late to say goodbye, and tearfully cradles her dead body as a montage of their passionate romance flashes across the screen.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The Bulls failed in their attempt to construct a team around veterans through free agency and trades, briefly showing flashes of promise in the 2021-22 season before crashing back to earth.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This week’s storms are especially welcome because the statewide snowpack has been lagging after weeks of unusually warm, dry weather.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Colorado is heading into a rare week where fire danger, damaging winds and winter storms are all colliding, creating hazards across nearly every part of the state at different times.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gales. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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