RAINS Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

rains 1 of 2

noun

plural of rain

as in storms

a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity the rain continued for most of the day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in barrages

a heavy fall of objects the Norman invaders fled when the castle's defenders threw a rain of stones down upon them

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rains

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rain

as in pours

to fall as water in a continuous stream of drops from the clouds it started raining early this morning and hasn't let up since

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in showers

to give readily and in large quantities she rained praise upon her graduating students the squadron rained bombs on the enemy's fortifications

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 rains

Noun

Research shows that extreme weather events, including heat waves, rains and melting glaciers, have become more frequent. — Matteo Moschella, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026 This wildfire season was supercharged by heavy rains in January that spurred vegetation growth, which became kindling when the summer heat arrived. — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 The recent two-month onslaught of drenching rains and destructive tornados that ravaged both the south suburbs and northwest Indiana was bad enough. — Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 Reuters reported that the landfill suffered a similar incident in 2017, when torrential rains caused a mudslide that killed at least eight people. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026 The crew immediately contacted authorities, and the city’s Medical Examiner moved swiftly to collect the remains ahead of heavy rains coming Thursday evening. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026 Holding thousands of floating panels in place is another challenge, especially in reservoirs where water depths rise and fall between dry periods and heavy monsoon rains. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026 In 2025, Bonnaroo kicked off on schedule, but more heavy rains ultimately led to the cancellation of the remainder of the festival and sent thousands of disgruntled fans packing up early. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026 It's been nearly a week since heavy rains from a likely derecho pummeled the Midwest and displaced roughly 1,000 people across Indiana. — John Tufts, IndyStar, 19 Aug. 2026

Verb

As God rains down sulfur and fire to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s wife glances back and turns into a pillar of salt. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026 This dust accumulates in the corners, lurks under the sofa, and rains down on your lampshades. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 July 2026 Rain like it almost never rains in the desert around Las Vegas. — Eric Boodman, STAT, 23 Mar. 2026 Time seems to collapse in on itself when bombs keep dropping overhead, and the act of trying to visit a next-door neighbor becomes a matter of life or death as sniper fire rains down. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026 That and the fact it never rains. — Lauren Bans, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2026 From his pulpit, Wicks rains down selectively vituperative fire and brimstone, with an eye toward provoking walkouts from unsuspecting visitors—say, a gay couple or a single mom. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2025 The dust is microscopic asteroid and comet debris that constantly rains in space, eventually making its way to Earth. — Regina G. Barber, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025 Sulfuric acid rains down through the sickly yellow sky but never reaches the lava-licked ground. — Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rains

Noun

Barnard said studies have shown that Pacific storms generate about 30% more wave energy during an El Niño year compared to a year without the climate cycle.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
The storms are unlikely to reach the Kansas City forecast area, though there is a 10% to 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of storms

Noun

For weeks this past spring, Israelis sought shelter from Iranian ballistic missile barrages, sometimes sleeping in underground train stations and parking lots.

— Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
Earlier this month, the air force stopped publishing the number of ballistic missiles fired or intercepted in Russia's nightly barrages.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of barrages

Verb

Mykonos Vioma pours organic estate wines at its farm near Ano Mera, while Mikònu moved its taproom in 2026 to Mathios Taverna in Tourlos, where prickly-pear ale comes with dinner and a sea view.

— Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026
Up the hillside there ever pours in reinforcements, clutching cans of beer and occasionally flags…There is something about it all of a children’s crusade, the young people look so innocent and take their pleasure so gravely.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of pours

Verb

Spotty showers across the Kansas City region Sunday morning give way to sunny skies and building heat, the forecast shows.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026
And when engines light, SpaceX has to fire off its water deluge system, which showers the launchpad with hundreds of thousands of gallons of water in mere moments to shield the vital infrastructure from the blaze of liftoff.

— Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Definition of showers

Noun

There have been heavy rainfalls since, but because its location is so near to the equator, where ferocious winds can’t properly spin, the lush land has been spared from the worst.

— DeMarco Williams, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
That increase has already led to more sunny day flooding, intensified rainfalls and hurricanes, reflected in higher and higher insurance premiums.

— Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

Definition of rainfalls

Noun

At least 165 people have been killed, and hundreds more are missing after catastrophic floods swept through towns and valleys along the border between Nepal and China's Tibet region.

— Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
And in other spots in Florida, like the Keys and Tampa Bay, residents are choosing to elevate their existing homes several feet to keep them safe from floods.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of floods

Verb

Again, an ammonium fluoride solution is one of the starting materials; the silicon dioxide simply precipitates out of this solution.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2026
The hydrogen sulfide reacts with the iron content of the egg yolk, which precipitates into iron sulfide, a green-colored mineral.

— Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026

Definition of precipitates

Verb

Bogost lavishes praise on hobbies (fly-fishing), crafts (knitting), and trades (woodworking) as ways to dwell in sensory experience.

— Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 17 June 2026
In one particularly confessional episode, the Belgian star lavishes his wife with praise while waxing lyrical about his past mistakes.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026