Thesaurus results for PAROXYSMS

paroxysms

noun

plural of paroxysm

as in bursts

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a paroxysm of laughter greeted the pratfall

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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

Noun

But more appealing to me were the smaller bursts of creativity.

— Tony Perrottet, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Nobody is more confident working with the Kings than Colter, whose swagger and comfort with bursts of goofiness are well-deployed, albeit with less emotional range in the early-going.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of bursts

Noun

Against encroaching social upheavals, the sovereign was resolutely the center of a mercantilist universe.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
The underlying motivation for African policymakers is to untether their economies from commodity cycles and, by extension, the upheavals that come with them.

— Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of upheavals

Noun

There was no notice to staff that swings in blood sugar levels can cause the kind of emotional distress and behavioral outbursts that got Christian in trouble.

— Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Foreigners have also experienced sporadic outbursts of xenophobic violence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of outbursts

Noun

In amphibians, chytridiomycosis causes a wide variety of symptoms including skin damage, red skin, convulsions, and eventually leads to heart failure.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026
Signs of infection include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss and paralysis.

— Esther Launstein, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of convulsions

Noun

The shoot involved firing blanks and igniting explosions, theatrics that shocked the film’s residential neighbors and spurred concerns over public safety.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
As the car drives on while dodging a series of explosions, a seemingly endless number of terrorists armed with automatic weapons shoot at it to no avail.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of explosions

Noun

These job changes seem frightening because past tech revolutions have shut people out.

— Pat Gelsinger, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
One of the most challenging blind spots in modern leadership is learning how to guide our own internal systems through whirlwind revolutions, life transitions and change.

— Patrick Murphy, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of revolutions

Noun

In the deep ocean, high water pressure can suppress explosive volcanic activity, making eruptions less destructive.

— Yook Ji Hun, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026
The Best Travel Photography of 2023 From the wildebeest migration in Kenya and volcanic eruptions in Iceland to shamanic rituals in Siberia.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of eruptions

Noun

David Ryder | Reuters The typical homeowners insurance policy excludes or limits coverage for damage from certain disasters, such as earthquakes, landslides and floods, according to insurance experts.

— Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
By 1926, Caltech was running the Seismo Lab with the Carnegie Institution, where seismologists like Beno Gutenberg and Charles Richter would deepen our understanding of earthquakes.

— Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of earthquakes

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paroxysmal

paroxysms

parricide

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“Paroxysms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysms. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of paroxysms

noun

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