paroxysms

noun

plural of paroxysm
1
as in bursts
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a paroxysm of laughter greeted the pratfall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in upheavals
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of paroxysms Preparing a tax return can trigger paroxysms of stress at the best of times. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysms
  1. bursts
  2. upheavals
  3. outbursts
  4. convulsions
  5. explosions
  6. revolutions
  7. eruptions
  8. earthquakes
Noun
  • Under rural Spanish skies, particularly in dark-sky regions away from towns and cities, observers could see 30 to 50 meteors per hour, with occasional bursts producing even more.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 14 July 2026
  • When the aorta bursts, blood rushes through the tear, which often leads to sudden death.
    — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
Definition of bursts
Noun
  • The cyclical reality awaiting ‘naive capital’ Allianz is far from the only insurer to have prospered through recent upheavals.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 3 July 2026
  • Not every government will experience Ethiopia’s dramatic upheavals.
    — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of upheavals
Noun
  • There have been other outbursts of violence against immigrants.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • William also was not inclined to let himself be bothered by Harry’s outbursts over the past several weeks, the authors said.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
Definition of outbursts
Noun
  • Later Wednesday, Mexico City Health Secretary Nadine Gasman, told a news conference that another man, about 30, was treated by emergency personnel after suffering an epileptic seizure, convulsions, and gastrointestinal bleeding.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • It is known to cause neurological problems, convulsions and comas, with children particularly at risk.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of convulsions
Noun
  • Fedorov’s removal came as Russian missiles struck Kyiv early Thursday, with loud explosions heard in the Ukrainian capital just hours before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was set to arrive.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • And most often these fires, explosions and leaks happen in working-class neighborhoods.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of explosions
Noun
  • Even Flynn, a high school history teacher whose curriculum recounts the cyclical nature of wars and revolutions, needed to believe in that possibility of a reprieve, despite reiterating death’s inevitability in the classroom.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026
  • Since the founders put their names to the Declaration of Independence, there have been revolutions in science, technology, medicine, art and literature.
    — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
Definition of revolutions
Noun
  • Francesco was known to be an alchemist who experimented with chemical substances, which could explain the skin eruptions, Giuffra added.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Because of its location, Goma has been affected by eruptions of Nyiragongo.
    — Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026
Definition of eruptions
Noun
  • The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that shook Venezuela last month rose to 5,069 late on Friday, local authorities said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.
    — CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of earthquakes

Browse Nearby Words

paroxysmal
paroxysms
parricide
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Cite this Entry

“Paroxysms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysms. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on paroxysms

Nglish: Translation of paroxysms for Spanish Speakers

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