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
-
The device does not try to impress in short bursts.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
Most radio-producing objects release bursts that last for mere seconds or less, but long-period radio transients, about a dozen of which are known, produce radio waves in bursts lasting from minutes to over an hour.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps alarmingly, the city’s air defenses appeared to be less active during the final wave of Russian strikes on Tuesday morning, with CNN producers hearing ongoing explosions, but not the sound of counter-systems firing.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
Some were awakened by explosions; others pulled back their curtains in the early hours to see plumes of black smoke rising above the city.—
David Hickey,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Thunderstorms and wind gusts of more than 80 mph were reported in Frederick, South Dakota, on Wednesday, leaving buildings damaged, a radio tower and power lines toppled, and trees uprooted.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
-
Winds are forecasted to be west 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph and humidity as low as 10%.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
This would trigger explosive outbursts on the white dwarf, which would be seen across the galaxy as a nova eruption.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
3 June 2026
-
More Than Headlines Beckham’s talent was undeniable, but it was constantly put on the backburner as the constant talk around him was mostly about on-field outbursts and questionable comments.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
There’s a certain predictability to the plots in a Taylor Sheridan production — a kind of slow, relentless grind from crisis to crisis, punctuated by occasional eruptions of violence.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
The Island of Hawaii features three famous volcanoes — Kilauea with its spectacular eruptions, Mauna Kea and its spectacular sunsets, and Mauna Loa, the world’s highest mountain when measured from its underwater base to the summit.—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Despite flashes of promise from some of the club’s young talent, victories have been difficult to come by, leaving fans searching for reasons to remain optimistic about the future and questioning the competence of rookie manager Tony Vitello.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Zach Collins also has showed flashes of ability but has struggled to stay healthy.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
December to March is technically rainy season but storms typically happen once per day.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Rainfall totals in the Kansas City area The storms packed a powerful punch, producing frequent lighting and thunder, prompting a tornado warning for parts of Clay and Jackson counties, and drenching some parts of the metro.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gales. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
