1
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a paroxysm of laughter greeted the pratfall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
Darwin's introduction of the theory of evolution created paroxysms in both religion and science that are still being felt today
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paroxysm
Also, stars in this frenzied state aren’t terribly stable; the fusion rate can be tempestuous, and the star undergoes incredibly violent paroxysms.
—
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026
The post is now nearing a hundred million views and inspiring paroxysms of millennial self-reckoning.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025
Wilson’s idealistic vision of a new U.S. role in the world collapsed in a paroxysm of partisanship.
—Charles A. Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
The 55-year-old electrical engineer at the center of this postal paroxysm was an improbable target.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Sep. 2014
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026
The post is now nearing a hundred million views and inspiring paroxysms of millennial self-reckoning.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025
Wilson’s idealistic vision of a new U.S. role in the world collapsed in a paroxysm of partisanship.
—Charles A. Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
The 55-year-old electrical engineer at the center of this postal paroxysm was an improbable target.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Sep. 2014
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysm
Noun
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The arraignment continues for six out of the eight people arrested in connection with the Esparto explosion that killed seven men.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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The video allowed researchers to calculate the trajectory of the missile flying uncharacteristically low and match it with other reports of explosions, Lair said.—
Jane Lytvynenko,
NBC news,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Set in Shizuoka during the 1970s and ’80s, the film draws on Kimura’s own family history, following a single mother’s pursuit of personal freedom amid the social upheaval of the era.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
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Their home offers refuge to Black travelers navigating the upheaval of the Great Migration.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The new secretary takes up his post at a time when traditional diplomacy often takes a back seat to Trump’s off-the cuff comments and social media outbursts.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
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That outburst from the Twins effectively chased lefty ace Garrett Crochet from the game.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Another trend was that police arrested or charged at least 59 people due to unrest at school board meetings from May 2021 through November 2022.—
Carrie Sampson,
The Conversation,
13 Apr. 2026
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The threat of civil unrest hung over the final days of voting.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The greatest threat will be the possibility of large hail and some strong bursts of wind.—
Chris Shaffer,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Some start with an initial burst of attention, followed by years of uncertainty as leads dry up and interest fades.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Trotsky’s arguments about revolution in one nation versus a revolution of the international proletariat, like the fine argumentative tracery of Paul’s Jewish Christians versus Greek ones, seemed vital to the movement at the time but weirdly trivial and abstract to those outside it.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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The report said the number of executions was by far the highest since IHR began tracking it in 2008 and was the most reported since 1989, in the early years of the Islamic revolution.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Across the jagged volcanic landscape of spontaneous eruptions and tumbling detritus, a space of relative calm will invariably open up.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
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Geomagnetic storms, on the other hand, are caused by the impact of rapid streams of plasma on Earth's magnetic field, most dramatic during violent eruptions of plasma (coronal mass ejections) from the sun.—
Ryan French,
Space.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The country, meanwhile, was experiencing a series of convulsions.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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Brain swelling from encephalitis can lead to convulsions, permanent hearing loss, intellectual disability and death, according to the CDC.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paroxysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysm. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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