rains 1 of 2

Definition of rainsnext
plural of rain
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

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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

rains

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rain
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

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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

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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
Recent rains had made the water murky, CBS News previously reported. CBS News, 6 June 2026 Heavy rains from a typhoon delayed the search until Wednesday, according to Takuya Nishikawa of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Headquarters. Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 6 June 2026 Now, Goicochea warned, the current garbage collection situation, combined with rising temperatures and impending rains, could worsen the situation. ABC News, 4 June 2026 Melissa slammed Jamaica after drenching southern Haiti and parts of the Dominican Republic with heavy rains before continuing on to Cuba. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026 But when rains fall heavily between November and April, sticky clay soils make traveling around it tricky. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 Temperatures are expected to be in the mid- to upper 80s through the weekend, but could be warmer or cooler depending on the timing and duration of the rains. Kansas City Star, 2 June 2026 The entire squad, coaches and backroom staff are jumping up and down on the podium as gold confetti rains down on them. Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 Although recent rains have helped improve conditions slightly, particularly over parts of the panhandle, according to DaSilva, drought conditions in much of the state are still severe. Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Verb
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rains
Noun
  • December to March is technically rainy season but storms typically happen once per day.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
  • Rainfall totals in the Kansas City area The storms packed a powerful punch, producing frequent lighting and thunder, prompting a tornado warning for parts of Clay and Jackson counties, and drenching some parts of the metro.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • The strikes came a day after Russian forces launched a massive drone and missile attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, killing at least 22 civilians and wounding 138, as Moscow followed through with its threat of escalating its regular barrages.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 June 2026
  • In Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, near-daily drone barrages have imposed a furtive rhythm to residents’ lives, making every trip to the market, school, health clinic or a relative’s home a gamble.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
Verb
  • The damage to the concrete apron is not yet known; nor is the condition of the deluge system that pours up to a million gallons of water on the pad during launch to protect it from the heat of New Glenn’s engines and dampen the acoustical shock of a liftoff.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 May 2026
  • Meta is cutting 8,000 positions while Mark Zuckerberg pours billions into AI.
    Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • Water elements are abundant; all rooms include indoor and outdoor rainforest showers along with soaking tubs; some also feature private plunge pools.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • Bradley likes to brush her biscuits with heavy cream to lend a nice shiny coat and promote a golden crown, then showers them with poppy seeds and salt for extra crunch and flavor.
    Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Recent storms and heavy rainfalls caused the area to flood again, prompting the city to jump back into action.
    Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Wild extremes of temperature, a heat dome, a potent bomb cyclone blizzard, epic rainfalls and violent tornadoes have wreaked weather havoc across the nation.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Scientists predict a particularly strong El Niño phenomenon this year that could trigger widespread droughts and floods, hammering the yields of staple crops.
    Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 3 June 2026
  • What to read next The indoor swimming pool area is beautiful; light floods in from the arched glass roof and through floor-to-ceiling windows.
    Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 2 June 2026
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
Verb
  • When Ray lavishes attention on another biker’s pet pillion, Kevin (Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters), Colin sulks until his master unzips his trousers and gives him a treat.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
  • 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

Cite this Entry

“Rains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rains. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.

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