1
as in storms
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity
the rain continued for most of the day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rains
Justin Kabumba, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited a southern town in Sicily on Wednesday that has been left teetering on the edge of a cliff after days of heavy rains from a cyclone triggered a huge landslide that brought down properties and forced the evacuation of over 1,500 people.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
These storms begin as minor or average storms and then go through a rapid, explosive intensification, delivering heavy snow, blizzards, thundersnow, coastal flooding and flooding rains.
—Tammie Souza, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
First came the heavy winter rains that soaked the soil.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
The first is after heavy rains, when more of the purple minerals will have washed down to the shore.
—Alanna Bennett, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026
Winter cold and rains as well as malnutrition are still killing people in Gaza, despite the ceasefire being in its fourth month.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
Officials speculated that heavy rains this winter are producing more death cap mushrooms than normal, particularly in Northern California.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Winter storms have made the situation on the ground in Gaza even more difficult, as heavy rains have caused flooding in displacement camps and lower temperatures have made living conditions even more difficult.
—Isabella Murray, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2026
Lauren Bans, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2026
This dust accumulates in the corners, lurks under the sofa, and rains down on your lampshades.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
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
Now, in preparation for a ground invasion, Israel rains yet more American bombs on Gaza City—another round of mindless, brutal violence against a population that has endured it every day for almost two years.
—Jack Sheehan
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
It is hurt, evident by the acid blood that rains down, but the Xenomorph is not dead.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
The landslide was triggered by heavy rains, but ex-miners blame unsafe conditions.
—Justin Kabumba, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited a southern town in Sicily on Wednesday that has been left teetering on the edge of a cliff after days of heavy rains from a cyclone triggered a huge landslide that brought down properties and forced the evacuation of over 1,500 people.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
These storms begin as minor or average storms and then go through a rapid, explosive intensification, delivering heavy snow, blizzards, thundersnow, coastal flooding and flooding rains.
—Tammie Souza, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
First came the heavy winter rains that soaked the soil.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
The first is after heavy rains, when more of the purple minerals will have washed down to the shore.
—Alanna Bennett, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026
Winter cold and rains as well as malnutrition are still killing people in Gaza, despite the ceasefire being in its fourth month.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
Officials speculated that heavy rains this winter are producing more death cap mushrooms than normal, particularly in Northern California.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Winter storms have made the situation on the ground in Gaza even more difficult, as heavy rains have caused flooding in displacement camps and lower temperatures have made living conditions even more difficult.
—Isabella Murray, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
That and the fact it never rains.
—Lauren Bans, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2026
This dust accumulates in the corners, lurks under the sofa, and rains down on your lampshades.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
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
Now, in preparation for a ground invasion, Israel rains yet more American bombs on Gaza City—another round of mindless, brutal violence against a population that has endured it every day for almost two years.
—Jack Sheehan
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
It is hurt, evident by the acid blood that rains down, but the Xenomorph is not dead.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rains
Noun
-
Airport workers were digging out of feet-high snow drifts and de-icing equipment after one of the most powerful winter storms in years, which led to the largest cancellation day for air travel since March 2020 on Sunday.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Organizations recommend checking their websites or contacting them directly before donating items, as storage space and immediate needs can change rapidly during winter storms.—
Cheyenne Derksen,
Oklahoman,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In recent weeks, the relentless barrages have damaged some of Ukraine’s protected world heritage sites in Odesa, the western city of Lviv and the capital, Kyiv, UNESCO said Tuesday.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The fighting included fighter jet sorties, exchanges of rocket fire and artillery barrages.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But as Debbie Yuengling pours a cold glass of her family's lager from the tap, Wisconsin beer drinkers have plenty to celebrate.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Player of the Week Junior forward Ryan Dinnon pours in 31 points for Andrew in a 66-54 win over Lincoln-Way West and scores 27 points in a 71-56 victory over Bradley-Bourbonnais.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Someone who is good to you, the kind of man who showers you with gifts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Chatbot use may then be a symptom, Sarma said, akin to how one of his patients with bipolar disorder showers more frequently when entering a manic episode—the showers warn of but do not cause mania.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
During years of drought, when the water level dropped, trees grew in the lake bed, but when water returned following heavy rainfalls, the trees lost all their leaves and were just bare trunks and branches.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Dec. 2025
-
The researchers analyzed tree-ring data from across Europe to see how temperatures fluctuated across the century leading up to the Black Death to better understand the massive rainfalls Bauch had seen referenced in records.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Diving bell spiders, for example, trap air bubbles to survive underwater, while fire ants link their water-repellent bodies together to form floating rafts during floods.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Finally, as climate challenges grow, school meals can build local capacity, which can help communities endure droughts, floods, wars, and other crises.—
Reem Alabali Radovan,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But what precipitates an AI winter is some definitive evidence this hype cannot be met.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Majumdar lavishes her characters with careful attention, and so the reader comes to regard their most troubling actions as justified, if not inevitable.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
-
An ancillary of the brand’s best-selling, ambery-woody eau, each aluminum tube contains a quick-absorbing lotion that lavishes skin with moisture, keeping hands feeling comfortable and cuticles softened with its moisturizing blend of avocado oil, shea butter, plus green tea and chamomile extracts.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rains. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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