1
as in blows
a sudden brief rush of wind
a gust tore her umbrella from her grip and blew it down the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in explosions
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the stressed-out coworker cried out with a gust of emotion that we had never witnessed before
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gusts
Any snow showers stay close to the northern border, but winds will pick up even more for Friday — helping high temps return to the mid 40s with gusts up to 30 mph.
—
Joseph Dames, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Winds should die down on Friday before picking back up Saturday and Sunday with gusts over 20 miles per hour.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
During the afternoon, breezy southwest winds will blow at 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
Firefighters faced sustained winds of about 20 mph (32 kph), with gusts reaching up to 35 mph (56 kph), which accelerated the fire's spread, Bennington said.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
Local gusts of 40 to 50 mph in the hills.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Ridge-top wind gusts will reach 45 mph, the weather service said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Wind gusts may reach 40 mph and above.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 19 Feb. 2026
Winds are expected to be from the west at 10 to 20 mph with gusts as high as 30 to 35 mph and relative humidity as low as 15 to 20 percent.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2025
Joseph Dames, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Winds should die down on Friday before picking back up Saturday and Sunday with gusts over 20 miles per hour.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
During the afternoon, breezy southwest winds will blow at 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
Firefighters faced sustained winds of about 20 mph (32 kph), with gusts reaching up to 35 mph (56 kph), which accelerated the fire's spread, Bennington said.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
Local gusts of 40 to 50 mph in the hills.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Ridge-top wind gusts will reach 45 mph, the weather service said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Wind gusts may reach 40 mph and above.
—Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 19 Feb. 2026
Winds are expected to be from the west at 10 to 20 mph with gusts as high as 30 to 35 mph and relative humidity as low as 15 to 20 percent.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gusts
Noun
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Her tenure was marked by downward-trending stock prices and a series of blows to the company’s image.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2026
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Unfortunately, Starmer’s Labour government seems bent on inflicting even harsher blows very soon.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In Jordan, several explosions believed to be missiles being intercepted were heard along with the sound of fighter jets.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
28 Feb. 2026
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At least three explosions were heard Saturday evening near the Intelligence Ministry building in northern Tehran, witnesses said, adding that air defense systems had begun operating there.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Ceiling fans and cross-breezes replace air-conditioning, reinforcing the open-air nature of the design.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
24 Feb. 2026
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Peak wind gusts Tuesday afternoon could reach 30 mph at times, with 25 mph breezes lingering through Wednesday as high temperatures climb into the 80s.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Other researchers have studied these kinds of bursts before, but this sneaker study examines friction happening at much faster speeds.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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In general, her scoring sprees feel more sustainable and less like streaky bursts of shooting.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Communities have used loud sirens to warn people about approaching storms, tsunamis and tornadoes, but now some activists in Los Angeles are using sirens to warn about immigration agents.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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As midweek showers and thunderstorms add to Kansas City’s soggy week, the threat of severe thunderstorms ramps up on Friday, with all types of hazards possible, including large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service.—
Robert A. Cronkleton
March 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the sun is a relatively quiet star, and Earth's magnetic field is strong enough to protect our planet against those outbursts.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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Dark skies will improve the chances of spotting any brief outbursts or brighter meteors.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There’s a better chance of snow flurries in Homestead than the Heat intentionally losing games to improve their draft position.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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Temperatures dialed back down heading into the weekend, with strong winds and light flurries in the forecast.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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However, the eruptions grew stronger in the 1980s and 1990s, reaching heights of up to 75 feet and lasting over 90 minutes, before slowing down in the early 2000s.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
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There were a few eruptions over the following years, but the geyser was largely inactive.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gusts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gusts. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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