as in vortices
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 maelstroms
This one’s closer to immersion therapy for phobias around motherhood, mental health, and emotional maelstroms that refuse to tamed or contained.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maelstroms
vortices
Noun
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Under this model, utilities like Con Edison are legally required to serve everyone in their service territory, every hour of every day — even during storms, heat waves and polar vortices.—
Rory M. Christian,
New York Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
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In simplified terms, polar vortexes are walls of rotating air that essentially trap cold air around the polar regions.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maelstroms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maelstroms. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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