as in vortex
water moving rapidly in a circle with a hollow in the center
our rubber raft got caught in a maelstrom in a particularly rough stretch of white water
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Recent Examples of maelstrom
The Wall Street Money Making Machine In this maelstrom of volatility, investment banks like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley have found a silver lining.
—
Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Somehow or other, that got lost in the maelstrom of everything else that was going on.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Jokic had lofted a clutch floater to clinch 2OT, and dropped in a free throw to put Denver up 139-138 with 17.1 remaining, a maelstrom in Ball surrounding a man who seemed invincible.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Apr. 2025
Into this maelstrom steps Simmons with a job to correct earlier errors, to prevent new questionable acquisitions and to ensure that the museum’s reputation for integrity and scholarship is not further damaged.
—Graham Bowley, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maelstrom
Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Somehow or other, that got lost in the maelstrom of everything else that was going on.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Jokic had lofted a clutch floater to clinch 2OT, and dropped in a free throw to put Denver up 139-138 with 17.1 remaining, a maelstrom in Ball surrounding a man who seemed invincible.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Apr. 2025
Into this maelstrom steps Simmons with a job to correct earlier errors, to prevent new questionable acquisitions and to ensure that the museum’s reputation for integrity and scholarship is not further damaged.
—Graham Bowley, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maelstrom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maelstrom
vortex
Noun
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This faux screener introduces the stage play, the museum show, and the faux bio-pic to the public (or some staged semblance thereof) and leads to yet another vortex of ironic instability.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
1 May 2025
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Beams of light can be twisted to form optical vortices that take a similar shape; optical vortices are often used for wireless transmission of data, the creation of holograms, and numerous other applications.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Maelstrom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maelstrom. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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