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
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
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
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Highly nonlinear filaments, vortices and eddies start forming patterns and structured networks.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
26 June 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Maelstrom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maelstrom. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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