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

Strobe lights zigzag across the room and confetti rains down as Ruffin blasts a smoke cannon into the roaring crowd. — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 27 July 2026 Heavy rains flooded the Guadalupe River, which rose more than 25 feet in less than an hour. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 27 July 2026 In 1999, heavy rains triggered floods and landslides that destroyed thousands of homes. — Tibisay Zea, Christian Science Monitor, 27 July 2026 If not exposed to the blistering Florida sun, then the torrential rains that are commonplace during summer have to be endured. — Thomas Kennedy, Sun Sentinel, 26 July 2026 Prolonged, heavy rains along the system’s northern periphery are expected to linger through Tuesday evening, raising the chance of flash flooding from Buffalo to Boston. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 26 July 2026 But the heaviest rains were staying offshore, reducing the risks of flooding, the center said. — ABC News, 23 July 2026 Recurring droughts, wildfires, and torrential rains in Spain have periodically wiped out harvests of specific crops. — Paula De La Cruz, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 While pinning down the exact reason why these states buck the trend is difficult, Hoell hypothesized the region’s unique summer monsoon rains could alleviate the risk. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 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

The chance of rain reaching the Kansas City metro from the morning storms is low, but there’s another chance of pop-up storms with heavy downpours possible Wednesday afternoon and evening, forecasters said.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026
The active pattern comes after days of weather extremes across the country, including destructive storms in the Midwest, flooding concerns in the East, dangerous heat across the South and wildfires in the West.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 29 July 2026

Definition of storms

Noun

Russia bombarded Ukraine last weekend with one of the largest ballistic-missile barrages of the entire war.

— Mark Montgomery, Washington Post, 31 July 2026
Less expensive than three artillery barrages, Colonel Bell said during a June roundtable discussion with reporters.

— Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026

Definition of barrages

Verb

The public is increasingly skeptical of allowing the AI industry to govern itself, which is pushing legislators to rethink their hands-off approach, even as AI money pours like Niagara Falls into elections.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026
The sun pours through its many gaps, creating a constellation of light that illuminates the forest floor below.

— Liam Scott, Washington Post, 24 July 2026

Definition of pours

Verb

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
The tiny handle is easy to maneuver, making short work of quick cleanups and everything showers alike.

— Sara Coughlin, Allure, 5 July 2026

Definition of showers

Noun

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
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

Definition of rainfalls

Noun

While the ballot box can’t change the risk of floods or hurricanes, a constitutional amendment on the November ballot could reduce homeowners’ costs in the form of lower property taxes.

— Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Residents from the region spoke to her about dealing with avalanches, floods and landslides in their isolated home.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 July 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