as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed
he made a lightning dash for the goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning
Adjective
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026 -
But detainees inside the Adelanto facility who called the Immigrant Defenders rapid response hotline alleged that medical staff didn’t respond until after Ramos was unresponsive and that Ramos died inside the immigration detention facility, said an Immigrant Defenders spokesperson.—
Ryanne Mena,
Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The strikes temporarily disrupted the spacecraft’s electrical systems, but quick action by mission control kept the mission on track.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Hours were spent on Zoom calls with Garden (based in England) poring over match film on Wyscout, Olsson quick to point out the flaws and areas of improvement and Garden quicker to point out the strengths.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Noah Gregor scored the fastest goal to begin a game in franchise history, Mackie Samoskevich followed shortly after to give Florida its fastest two goals to begin a game in franchise history, and the Panthers never looked back in a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators at Amerant Bank Arena.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
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Croatia was unable to defend the fast-break attack, allowing Endrick to play the ball on for Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli to put away with ease.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Plan on a mostly sunny sky and brisk morning wind.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The subjects were also asked to do two additional workouts on their own; the details were up to them, but most chose running, cycling, brisk walking, or circuits.—
Alex Hutchinson,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As his health faded in the last year of his life, Neruda rushed to finish his story, which gives the last chapters of his book a galloping, fragmented quality.—
Tunku Varadarajan,
WSJ,
25 June 2021
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Designed by renowned architect Dominique Perrault, its four stories tilting forward are said to evoke a galloping horse.—
Rob Hodgetts at Longchamp,
CNN,
15 Oct. 2019
Adjective
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The decision drew swift criticism from both Democratic and Republican figures, who questioned Jackson's willingness to engage with voters.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The end was swift and merciless.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Lightning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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