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
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
Symptoms can include: Runny or stuffed-up nose Low-grade fever
Mild, occasional cough
One to two weeks after symptoms start, people may develop paroxysms, or coughing fits, which can last up to 10 weeks and gradually become worse as the illness continues, NCMS says.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
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
Symptoms can include: Runny or stuffed-up nose Low-grade fever
Mild, occasional cough
One to two weeks after symptoms start, people may develop paroxysms, or coughing fits, which can last up to 10 weeks and gradually become worse as the illness continues, NCMS says.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysm
Noun
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There's also been an explosion of machine identities, known as non-human identities (NHIs), that enterprises have to contend with.—
TK Keanini,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The rapper and actor, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, was subpoenaed by federal prosecutors and was required to testify against the Bad Boy Records founder in regards to a home invasion and car explosion allegedly linked to Combs.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
King took over in June as the district was confronting a $734 million budget crisis in the wake of leadership upheaval.—
Kate Perez,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As the other undefeated team, Canada outscored its three opponents 19-4, but had to rely on some third-period outbursts to run up those offensive numbers.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Glacial outburst floods have killed more than 12,000 people worldwide, according to estimates in the journal Global and Planetary Change.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The proposal being evaluated now would allow the president to mobilize troops and put them on Title 32 orders in a state experiencing unrest.—
ALEX HORTON AND DAVID OVALLE THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
13 Aug. 2025
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Can Trump deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C.? A sitting president does have the power to deploy military troops in times of civil unrest.—
Joyce Orlando,
Nashville Tennessean,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Love planet Venus will enter Leo on Aug. 25, adding a dazzling burst of glamour and passion, followed by harmonious aspects to Saturn, Uranus and Neptune on Aug. 25 and 26, making romantic themes equally grounding and liberating.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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And all of this came during a sustained burst of fiction writing that Woolf—whose work had been derailed by mental breakdowns and spells of illness—relished.—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
These are valuable, incremental steps—not revolutions.—
Bill Rokos,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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Despite this revolution, some best practices still hold true for landing a high-paying gig.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The children died in June 2023 in what prosecutors described as an eruption of violence motivated by fear of losing them to their father, Nathan John, according to the BBC, who survived the attack.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The same earthquake is believed to have triggered the eruption of Klyuchevskoy, Kamchatka's most active volcano, which began on Wednesday.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 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,
8 Aug. 2025
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Then came the stock market convulsions and recessionary fears triggered in April by President Trump’s sweeping tariffs.—
Hadley Meares,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paroxysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysm. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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