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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The new discovery completely alters our understanding of gamma ray bursts, which were once thought to be caused only by black holes.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
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With surreal flourishes and bursts of absurdity, filmmaker Milagros Mumenthaler casts a beguiling, dreamlike spell that delicately examines motherhood, class and identity.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The film follows Mark and Dawn through horrifically fraught times, as Mark battles an opioid addiction and Dawn struggles to support her mercurial man through personal and professional upheavals.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
1 Oct. 2025
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While Sehgal’s persistence was key in keeping the project alive through corporate upheavals – going as far as to stash a culture at home – neither Nogrady nor the METEI was ever credited in his landmark publications.—
Ted Powers,
The Conversation,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The authors produced models for a scenario in which methane is released in plume-like outbursts.—
Andrew Jones,
Space.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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Macmillan has a musician's kind of knack for sculpting outbursts, rants and other verbal arias.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Symptoms of the more serious illness include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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Common listeriosis symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Attack largest of war on Lviv, Governor says A Reuters correspondent heard explosions booming across the dark morning sky as air defenses engaged targets from several directions.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
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Jump cuts punctuated by the sound of explosions move us incrementally downstream, ultimately out and over the Pacific Ocean.—
Anne Reeve,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But revolutions are marathons, not sprints.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
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All revolutions are ultimately civil wars, right?—
Nikki McCann Ramirez,
Rolling Stone,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This recurrent nova, known for its rapid eruptions approximately every 38 years, was last observed in 2009.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Sep. 2025
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The platform hosts four instruments, one of which is a coronagraph to detect the massive eruptions from the Sun that spark geomagnetic storms.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
24 Sep. 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,
4 Oct. 2025
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Like Squid Game, the final scene brings us to Los Angeles, where two bros discuss sports at a bar, as a story about the earthquakes plays on the news.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paroxysms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysms. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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