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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After testing the interest of sports fans in short-form content, Disney aims to bring brief bursts to a broader audience.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Operating for thousands of daily cycles over decades trumps quick bursts of power.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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These are among the many questions posed by Simon Morrison’s sprawling biography of place, which seeks to understand a nation through the life of its largest city, tracing Moscow’s evolution via dozens of historical upheavals, from war, famine, drought, and much, much more.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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Evans’ historic eight terms as the first Black chief judge saw the county through reforms, changes and upheavals including the elimination of cash bail and the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
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
-
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
Noun
-
So are wild garlic and death camas, a plant that can cause vomiting, convulsions, coma and death.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
19 Dec. 2025
-
Such an approach weathered domestic convulsions.—
Tanvi Madan,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The explosions caused secondary fires that torched neighborhoods, according to the suit.—
Tony Saavedra,
Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Test explosions became increasingly rare.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Yet as neat and tidy as this sounds, such revolutions — especially those supported by outside interference — rarely proceed tidily.—
Robert Muggah,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
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The talk will encompass later American revolutions which related directly to principles expounded on in the Declaration of Independence such as abolition and women’s suffrage and civil rights.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The world often failed to use those political eruptions to actually improve the lot of the people in those countries.—
Jay Reddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
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On top of that, cosmic rays and the Sun's own eruptions can upset electronics.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
4 Jan. 2026
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,
7 Nov. 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 10 Jan. 2026.
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