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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Even the vets warned that such bursts of energy sometimes signal a final surge before decline, but Luna proved them wrong.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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Beyond this, annual flowers such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias can be used to add bursts of color throughout your beds and borders.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Details in geomyths can shed light on how and when great geological upheavals occurred around the globe, and how humans responded to them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 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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As Sonia, the scene-stealing Shana Wride dominates almost every scene, first with comic outbursts and later with heartbreaking vulnerability.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Droplet outbursts from onion cutting.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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Symptoms can be severe and include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, sometimes following gastrointestinal symptoms.—
News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Although the company has made major strides since Starship debuted in 2023, a spate of four failures marred its progress this year, including two explosions that rained debris over parts of the Caribbean.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
16 Oct. 2025
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The project has endured failures, explosions, and redesigns, but has also demonstrated a pace of progress unmatched in the aerospace industry.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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These novels were published before the revolutions of 1989, which would topple communism in the country.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Geologists believe that the primary trigger was climatic and ocean changes related to large-scale volcanic eruptions in what is today Siberia, Russia.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
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Dozens of people living in villages nearest to the volcano were evacuated after the eruptions, according to Avelina Manggota Hallan, an official at the local disaster mitigation agency.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 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,
17 Oct. 2025
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The Øresund Bridge is designed to withstand ship collisions, aircraft impacts, earthquakes, and high winds.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paroxysms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysms. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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