as in epidemic
medical
an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world
The 1918 flu pandemic claimed millions of lives. the AIDS pandemic
Related Words
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as in widespread
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pandemic
Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
The board's decision comes as school districts across the country grapple with declining enrollment and funding challenges in the wake of the pandemic.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 12 May 2026
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 6 May 2026
Hantavirus pandemic potential The risk posed by hantavirus to the wider public is low, according to the WHO on May 4.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pandemic
Noun
The term refers to a steepening deviation between upper and lower economic classes, popularized after the Covid-19 pandemic disproportionately hit underprivileged groups.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
The board's decision comes as school districts across the country grapple with declining enrollment and funding challenges in the wake of the pandemic.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 12 May 2026
Adjective
Finn succeeds outgoing president John Rakich, who led the guild for five years, including through the COVID-19 pandemic and a period of global growth.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 6 May 2026
Hantavirus pandemic potential The risk posed by hantavirus to the wider public is low, according to the WHO on May 4.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pandemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pandemic
Noun
-
The World Health Organization has repeatedly said the risk to the general public is currently considered low and is not calling the outbreak an epidemic.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
That's a lot of epidemic/pandemic/plandemic experience in just 30 years.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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While OpenAI was created as a nonprofit designed to responsibly harness the power of the emerging artificial intelligence technology, the company created a for-profit subsidiary in 2019 and three years later released ChatGPT, which jumpstarted widespread adoption of the technology.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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There was widespread fear of measles causing blindness, which had indeed happened to a young family acquaintance.—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Crimes were investigated and solved long before governments had the ability to collect pervasive location and behavioral data on ordinary people — and they are still solved today without it.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
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History, spirituality, and the law collide as tribal repatriation specialists fight to return and rebury Indigenous human remains, revealing the still-pervasive worldviews that justified their collection in the first place.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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The condition is not uncommon and somewhat prevalent in certain breeds like various Spaniels, certain Hounds, some Retrievers, and some giant dog breeds.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
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What they’re mixed on, however, is whether the substance is particularly overlooked or prevalent in Los Angeles.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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Bus lanes there are physically separated from general traffic.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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While general manager Jeff Pagliocca has been quick to trade high draft picks in the past, the front office still has a desire to build through the draft — and has not been successful in that endeavor.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Even pro-war Telegram channels inside Russia have been rife with such theories and predictions.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Skepticism was rife, and CNN barely scraped along in its early years.—
Rodney Ho,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Cost of living, public safety and border security are hurting working families.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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In California, the effects of the breach rippled across the state’s largest public and private institutions within hours Thursday.—
Jaweed Kaleem,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.—
Betsy Golden Kellem,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pandemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandemic. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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