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
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Recent Examples of paroxysms
The post is now nearing a hundred million views and inspiring paroxysms of millennial self-reckoning.
—
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysms
Noun
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Fortunately, Marty, posing as a federal agent here to arrest Lee for harassment, bursts through the One Well doors in the nick of time.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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These collisions unleash bursts of energy, allowing physicists to explore the most fundamental building blocks of the universe.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Each storm sparked a wave of scientific inquiry, until, in the early twentieth century, scientists finally understood why electrifying societies had grown precariously vulnerable to environmental upheavals on the Sun.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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The Industry Has Handled Huge Shifts Before When discussion turned to AI, Pearn recalled earlier upheavals.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Musk, whose partisan outbursts reportedly cost Tesla one million sales, remains the world’s wealthiest person, and could become the first-ever trillionaire.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Vahid’s ensuing road trip leads to mayhem and outbursts as well as some quite funny moments.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, loss of balance and convulsions.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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These meteors are particularly known for being rich in fireballs, illuminating the sky with large explosions of light and color, and can produce about five meteors an hour at their peak.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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It’s most often seen in people who play sports like football, hockey and soccer, but it’s also been detected in the brains of soldiers who have been injured in explosions and in some people who experienced domestic violence.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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All scientific revolutions have been strongly influenced by philosophical ideas.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
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Nowhere have these coups and revolutions promoted and funded by NED (and the CIA itself) been even remotely successful.—
Ron Paul,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Historically, volcanic eruptions have blasted millions of tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
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These vast eruptions hurl immense clouds of magnetized plasma from the sun's corona into interplanetary space, sometimes at millions of miles per hour.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Last month, at least seven earthquakes rattled the coast of Alaska in a span of 24 hours.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paroxysms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysms. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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