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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paroxysm
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
Across the country, campuses were undergoing paroxysms of protest and counter-protest, pulled between the Palestinian and Israeli causes.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
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
Across the country, campuses were undergoing paroxysms of protest and counter-protest, pulled between the Palestinian and Israeli causes.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysm
Noun
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Like Squid Game, Dead Set juxtaposes familiar cultural symbols and settings with grim, inevitable explosions of blood, straddling the line between twisted, compelling drama and a sobering reminder of violence lurking in our present society.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
27 June 2025
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No one was injured in the explosion, which rained debris on the beaches of the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 June 2025
Noun
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The canons dismantled during the Theory incursion of the 1970s and ’80s introduced a more inclusive world of letters, even as the upheaval left English departments fragmented.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2025
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Israel’s ongoing airstrikes and Iran’s retaliation raised concerns about all-out war between the countries and propelled the region, already on edge, into even greater upheaval.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
Mention that season, and most cite his 56-point outburst against Annapolis Area Christian School.—
Sam Cohn,
Baltimore Sun,
25 June 2025
-
After Trump’s outburst, no further ceasefire violations have taken place.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 June 2025
Noun
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The Trump administration has pardoned all Jan. 6 protesters and has taken actions against those who prosecuted them for a variety of allegations connected to the unrest.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
28 June 2025
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In addition, Trump has not ruled out invoking the Insurrection Act, which allows the deployment of active-duty U.S. military personnel within the United States in cases of unrest or rebellion — a prospect also made more likely when the nation is at war.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Pride Month tends to arrive in a confetti burst of color.—
Sophia Bush,
Time,
20 June 2025
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In a burst of architectural brilliance, a pair of striking glass hallways connect the two wings of the main house, one spotlighting views of a cascading creek and the other lush landscaping.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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But he was also raised in the backdrop of the revolution that never really came.—
Michael Schaub,
Oc Register,
19 June 2025
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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei − rising through the ranks Khamenei was a close ally of Iran's first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the figure who led the country's 1979 revolution that overthrew Pahlavi and founded Iran's Islamic Republic.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
Noun
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The eruption is flowing into a remote area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
20 June 2025
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Intense enough to ionize Earth's upper atmosphere, the eruption caused a shortwave radio blackout centered over the Pacific Ocean.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Listeriosis can result in fever, muscle aches, headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 June 2025
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About 1 in 1,000 also suffers swelling of the brain called encephalitis, which can lead to convulsions, deafness or intellectual disability.—
Alix Martichoux,
The Hill,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paroxysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysm. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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