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
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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Local media also reported that several explosions were heard before the fire began.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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Jonathan Taylor’s offensive explosion helped push the Indianapolis Colts past the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in the first NFL regular-season game in Berlin, 31-25, in overtime.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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After three years of upheaval — capped by last year’s unpopular relocation to Las Vegas — the 2025 AFM marks the event’s return to Los Angeles, with a new (and hopefully permanent) home at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City.—
Kevin Cassidy,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
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These upheavals have always caused tensions, and those tensions have shaped the American social order in many ways.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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These outbursts send radiation and charged particles hurling into space and can disrupt communications on Earth if the flare erupts from an Earth-facing sunspot.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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This outburst was mysterious at the time and remains mysterious.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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However, unrest still broke out at the game on Thursday, with anti-Israel protesters in the vicinity.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Tanzania is one of several African countries to hold disputed elections this year that have resulted in unrest.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Despite the generally mild outlook, meteorologists are watching key atmospheric factors that could create bursts of intense snow, like expected next week when an early-season lake-effect snow is expected to impact the Great Lakes.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Comedian and actress Atsuko Okatsuka opened the ceremony with a burst of laughter and energy.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The historian Karen Armstrong argues that our modern focus on belief is a distortion that arose after the scientific revolution.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
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These are the recipes that launched a cultural revolution and created a mogul out of a one-woman catering business.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Whereas Balle’s first two books are inward and meditative, her third witnesses an eruption of politics.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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In 2022, debris from an underwater volcanic eruption severed the island's only subsea communication cable, cutting the island off from the rest of the world.—
Magdalena Petrova,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Symptoms include confusion, headaches, stiff neck, loss of balance, and convulsions.—
McClatchy Media,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Neurological symptoms may occur, too, like a stiff neck, disorientation, or convulsions.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paroxysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysm. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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