pandemic 1 of 2

Definition of pandemicnext
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

Relevance

pandemic

2 of 2

adjective

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 pandemic
Noun
By happenstance, the high risk report was released just as a scandal was erupting in Minnesota over widespread fraud in a program meant to keep children fed during the pandemic. Dan Walters, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026 The wealth-equals-health dynamic played out glaringly in Orange County during the pandemic. Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The 2025 box office fell short of the $9 billion analysts had projected heading into the year, signaling to industry watchdogs that post-pandemic hurdles could be more permanent than anticipated. Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026 But during those in-between times when children are able to stealthily evade adult surveillance – on playgrounds, on the internet and even when stuck at home during the pandemic – children’s culture can thrive. Rebekah Willett, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pandemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pandemic
Noun
  • The charity had generated $200 million to support patients, hospital staff and volunteers on the frontline of the health crisis over the years of the epidemic.
    Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The grants included drug prevention programs in schools, treatment and recovery programs for mental health and substance use, and harm reduction strategies amid the nation’s opioid epidemic.
    Ellie Roth, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The fertilizers engorged the Everglades on nutrients, especially phosphorus, leading to the widespread proliferation of cattails.
    Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Amid widespread corruption under Chávez, as journalist Anne Appelbaum noted in a 2024 book, hundreds of billions of dollars were siphoned off from PDVSA and other Venezuelan companies and subsequently disappeared into private bank accounts around the world.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Still, Neverland doesn’t quite break the pervasive feeling that the band’s trajectory since Nattens madrigal hasn’t always lined up with their strengths.
    Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The outlet spoke with top researchers who study family dynamics, who found that favoritism within families is pervasive.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Though the journalists were released within hours, the National Press Workers’ Union issued a poignant statement denouncing the fact that twenty-three of their members were still behind bars, and that censorship remained prevalent in Venezuela.
    Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
  • International transfers are increasingly prevalent, and payment solutions are more accessible.
    Jason Phillips, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • After setting a new standard for the organization in 2025, general manager Dan Morgan, head coach Dave Canales and their respective staffs need to raise the bar even higher.
    Mike Kaye January 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Daniel McFadin is a general assignment reporter who has been with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since October 2022.
    Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Speculation is rife over Venezuela’s political future.
    Ciaran Donnelly, Time, 11 Jan. 2026
  • But many people are uneasy, in a country where corruption is rife and trust in the authorities is low.
    Veselin Toshkov, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • There are other examples of lawmakers leaving public office for lobbying roles, but keeping their accounts open and spending from them.
    Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
  • The state Department of Education controls public education, under the leadership of the governor and the Legislature.
    SHELLEY SMITH SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE, Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The monthly stochastic oscillator remains in overbought territory ( > 80%), underscoring the strength of the prevailing bullish trend rather than signaling exhaustion.
    Katie Stockton, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025
  • As municipal pools became mixed-gender in the 1920s and ’30s, swimming naked no longer fit prevailing notions of decency.
    Jacob Beckert, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pandemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandemic. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on pandemic

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!