as in bursts
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the audience responded to the comedian's joke with gales of laughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 gales
The weather in Wales was terrible, with snow and freezing temperatures and Arctic gales.
—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gales
Noun
-
Focaccia bursts with the flavors of a Chicago hot dog.
-
The presence of this ultraviolet light, and the star-forming history of the cluster producing it, suggests that bursts of star formation contributed to waves of ionizing radiation that gradually cleared out the opaque neutral hydrogen.
Noun
-
The satellite's primary objective, though, is to observe gamma-ray bursts – events triggered by the catastrophic deaths of massive stars and considered to be the most powerful types of explosions in the universe.
-
The observatory has spent over two decades as a sort of orbital sentinel that scans the cosmos for gamma-ray bursts, ready to quickly point itself at the short-lived — but insanely powerful — space explosions at a moment's notice.
Noun
-
Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening.
-
Winds are expected to be southwest 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph and relative humidity as low as 5%.
Noun
-
There have been intermittent outbursts of violence against immigrants since then.
-
Police said Poirier continued making verbal outbursts and took an aggressive stance toward officers.
Noun
-
The hotel staff can help direct you to info about eruptions, closures, and options for outdoor experiences.
-
During The Great Dying, massive volcanic eruptions triggered catastrophic climate changes that altered the planet’s entire biosphere.
Noun
-
As the firework began to wane after well over a minute, zigzagging streaks of light spread into a canopy of twinkling flashes that resembled stars.
-
And that has pet owners looking for ways to help their animals get through the loud explosions and bright flashes.
Noun
-
The Philippines is battered by about 20 typhoons and storms each year.
-
Farther south, including Colorado Springs and Pueblo, the severe threat may last later Tuesday night as storms move southeast across the plains.
Cite this Entry
“Gales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gales. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
