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
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For a company built around celebration — Fourth of July backyard shows, wedding sendoffs and bursts of color in the sky — the routine has become an uneasy one.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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Another displacement or weakening of the polar vortex is underway, which can allow bursts of Arctic air to spill into the Midwest and Northeast at times, according to AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The outlet said more than 15 explosions shook Kharg Island, with the targets including air-defense systems, a naval base, an airport control tower and a helicopter hangar.—
Arsalan Shahla,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
With a swell of applause and a burst of smoke and explosions, Fuerza closed out the night — an apt ending for a band that isn’t afraid to break the rules a little bit.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sustained winds of 30-40 mph are forecast, with gusts up to 70 mph for the Northern plains, and areas west of I-25.—
Dave Aguilera,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Expect winds to be southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts of 35 to 45 mph and relative humidity values falling around 20 to 25%.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But recent outbursts of dissent in some regions including Tibet and Xinjiang prompted Beijing to crack down.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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And a big departure from 2025 when the Rangers managed eight first-inning outbursts of at least three runs on the way to ranking 22nd in runs for the season and 26th in OPS.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Other prominent arsenic peaks, alongside major sulfate peaks, likely indicate major volcanic events that align with records of 13th century eruptions recorded in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores.—
Nidhi Sharma,
Popular Science,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Article continues below Previous eruptions have caused massive damage and fatalities.—
Brett Tingley,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Social occasions and day-to-day activities are being interrupted by evacuation alerts and flashes in the sky as air defenses intercept drones, but much of life continues as normal, residents told CNBC.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Emma Graham,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2026
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Outside, the mob flashes and nearly pushes their way into the lobby.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The most powerful storms tend to come in the later part of the season.—
David Goodhue
March 16,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
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The disruptions follow a chaotic Monday for air travel, triggered by powerful storms that dumped snow by the foot in the Midwest and swept through the eastern half of the country, leading to thousands of cancellations at major hubs, including in New York, Chicago and Atlanta.—
Emilie Megnien,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gales. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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