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
Henry, afflicted by a psychic link to the monsters behind the veil of the Stranger Things universe, has to go into writhing, spitting paroxysms at least once every 20 minutes or so.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
The system came crashing down in a paroxysm of raw power politics, and the world was set ablaze.
—Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Sudden fits or attacks, known as paroxysms, of rapid coughs.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
For Fu, a 24-year-old graduate student in Beijing, this month’s paroxysms don’t change much on the ground.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
The system came crashing down in a paroxysm of raw power politics, and the world was set ablaze.
—Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Sudden fits or attacks, known as paroxysms, of rapid coughs.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
For Fu, a 24-year-old graduate student in Beijing, this month’s paroxysms don’t change much on the ground.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysm
Noun
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Sure, other fates are possible, like direct collapse to a black hole or explosions through the pair-instability mechanism, but a core-collapse supernova (also known as a type II supernova) represents the fate of the majority of the most massive stars ever to be born.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Such an explosion would happen to the smallest possible black holes, at most, once every 100,000 years, according to previous theories.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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He has been put in charge of a fragile minority government prone to challenges, demands and upheaval from parties on both the far left and right — as the ousting of Bayrou and his predecessor, Michel Barnier, less than a year ago, has proven.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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Through two of Macron’s presidential terms, where upheaval has been the norm, Lecornu has been an unusually stable presence around the cabinet table.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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With his natural charisma and naked emotion, Thug and Big Bank go all the way back to rapper’s childhood traumas (his apartment complex burning down, his older brother dying in front of him) to try to get to the bottom of his emotional outbursts.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
11 Sep. 2025
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This brightening coincides with the system having an outburst.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Nepal’s current bout of political unrest started in early September, when a group of young Nepalis, fed up with seeing politicians’ children posting about their designer handbags and luxury travel while most people struggle to make ends meet, organized a peaceful protest.—
Sugam Pokharel,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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International headlines often paint Haiti as a nation gripped by crisis — from political unrest and economic hardship to uncertainty about the future and unruly crime.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As the sun sets, diners dig into burgers dressed up like banh mi, with pickled daikon, rich duck liver mousse, and a burst of cilantro.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
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Set in the country's highlands, La Ruta de Las Flores is a scenic drive that connects several villages, and bursts to life when the coffee fields lining it come into full bloom.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Understanding the future of technology—and the wild imagination, hubris, and upheaval that accompany every technological revolution—has been a preoccupation among Atlantic writers for generations.—
Alex Reisner,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
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Interestingly, it was found spinning at 100 revolutions per second.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As part of the new study, Knutsen and her team programmed Perseverance's cameras to watch the sky after solar eruptions known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) blasted in the direction of Mars.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Kamchatka sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic activity frequently triggers earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.—
Amanda Castro
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For more severe and potentially life-threatening infections, symptoms may include headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
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An hour later, Bradley Fullerton’s cellmate sought help because Fullerton was having convulsions, according to the filing.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paroxysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysm. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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