maelstrom

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

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 maelstrom Listen to this article NEW YORK — Juan Soto, man in the middle of a maelstrom, figured out the right thing to do. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2025 Just an hour south of the gaseous maelstrom otherwise known as the City of Angels lurks a quiescent hideaway called Terranea Resort, set like a rare gemstone on 102 acres of Palos Verdes Peninsula oceanfront. David Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 Even if Florida dodges a direct hit by a major hurricane this year, the uncertainty of storm-prediction capabilities and recovery aid are likely to drive Florida’s property insurance industry into a maelstrom of uncertainty, potentially fueling catastrophic rate increases. Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 June 2025 Years before the current maelstrom in Washington, a group of university leaders, business leaders, government and military leaders was working to position U.S. higher education in a new light. David Rosowsky, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for maelstrom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maelstrom
vortex
Noun
  • Highly nonlinear filaments, vortices and eddies start forming patterns and structured networks.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 26 June 2025
  • The opposite of a heat dome is the polar vortex, when cold Arctic air plunges southward and stalls.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Maelstrom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maelstrom. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on maelstrom

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!