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
as in widespread
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Vaccine confidence in the United States has fallen since the COVID pandemic — primarily thanks to misinformation — and this is having a real effect on communal immunity for preventable diseases like measles.
—Mackenzie France, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
In the five years before the COVID-19 pandemic, at least six different sure-fire studio comedies surpassed $100 million at the domestic box office.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pandemic
Noun
Feeding Our Future defrauded the government of $250 million in federal funds from a pandemic-era meal program.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Vaccine confidence in the United States has fallen since the COVID pandemic — primarily thanks to misinformation — and this is having a real effect on communal immunity for preventable diseases like measles.
—Mackenzie France, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Three years later, the EPA fined CBD American Shaman for selling unregistered antimicrobial products during the pandemic.
—Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
In the five years before the COVID-19 pandemic, at least six different sure-fire studio comedies surpassed $100 million at the domestic box office.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pandemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pandemic
Noun
-
Flores says Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is a leading candidate for governor of California, hid the causes of a mounting epidemic of jail deaths behind a culture of cover-up and retaliation.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Courageous advocates, tireless researchers and others emerged as a coalition to fight the epidemic.—
Pearl Pugh,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Kimmel's suspension has sparked widespread outcry throughout the entertainment industry and scrutiny among Democratic politicians.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Even as fluoridation became widespread, opposition persisted.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
At a large technical university, a 2024–25 survey of more than 4,800 students showed that AI use was not only pervasive but also discipline-specific, especially in STEM fields where students relied on AI as both a research assistant and a study partner.—
Dr. Aviva Legatt,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The pervasive pop of Bad Bunny.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
SaaS sprawl is prevalent, and AI vendors are everywhere, with little support for the security team to keep us safe.—
Cody Pierce,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Andrew Hock Soon Ng argues that vampire-universalism, particularly prevalent now on the internet, is very much misplaced.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For more on the Washington Commanders and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
-
That age group’s spending on general merchandise at clubs rose by 3% for January to July 2025 compared to the same period in the year prior, according to Circana, which tracks checkout data across retailers.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Workloads can genuinely increase during busy holiday periods when annual leave is rife, but many employees choose to stay behind simply to appear busy, especially in organisations where output is compared against time at the desk.—
Alliance Manchester Business School,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Milena was not, and antisemitism was rife in Europe even before the rise of National Socialism.—
Christine Estima
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Kirk's death was met with bipartisan condemnation from public officials, as top lawmakers on both sides of the aisle raised alarm about the rising tide in acts of violence against public officials.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The lack of clarity is compounded by the fact that many of Turning Point’s largest vendors are limited liability companies registered in states that do not mandate public ownership disclosure.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pandemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandemic. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share