as in rains
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity
we ran into a big rainstorm on Highway 6, and the visibility was so poor we had to pull over
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Recent Examples of rainstorms
Check during rainstorms to see if water penetrates through the foundation or pools from below.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
Climate change is bringing stronger rainstorms to New England, overwhelming aging sewer systems and sending more pollution into the river.
—Jacob Wycoff, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Summer also brings on rainstorms with lightning and flash flooding.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2026
Rainstorms Are Driving the Surge in Animal Rescues Central Texas rainstorms have compounded the influx.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
Southern California may experience more frequent rainstorms this fall and winter when a powerful El Niño system is expected to be in full effect.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The new radar system can also track smoke from wildfires and provide more detailed information about typical rainstorms, improving the accuracy of forecasts.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Plan gear in advance and keep a close eye on the weather, as rainstorms usher in unbearable mud and dangerous flash flooding.
—Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
The water year was off to a raging start with a series of rainstorms bringing much of Southern California to average or above average rain levels for the year in a period of just a few months.
—Sierra Van Der Brug, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
Climate change is bringing stronger rainstorms to New England, overwhelming aging sewer systems and sending more pollution into the river.
—Jacob Wycoff, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Summer also brings on rainstorms with lightning and flash flooding.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2026
Rainstorms Are Driving the Surge in Animal Rescues Central Texas rainstorms have compounded the influx.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
Southern California may experience more frequent rainstorms this fall and winter when a powerful El Niño system is expected to be in full effect.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The new radar system can also track smoke from wildfires and provide more detailed information about typical rainstorms, improving the accuracy of forecasts.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Plan gear in advance and keep a close eye on the weather, as rainstorms usher in unbearable mud and dangerous flash flooding.
—Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
The water year was off to a raging start with a series of rainstorms bringing much of Southern California to average or above average rain levels for the year in a period of just a few months.
—Sierra Van Der Brug, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rainstorms
Noun
-
Due to heavy rains and high water levels in the Fox River in late April, the Fox Valley Park District postponed the event, set for April 25 in order to celebrate Earth Day, to May 16.—
David Sharos,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
-
Later that summer, lingering moisture from Tropical Storm Mario contributed to flooding rains across portions of the southwestern United States on September 17-18, the hurricane center concluded in its post-storm report.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Lake Baikal, often described as an inland sea because of its enormous size, is notorious for sudden storms and icy conditions even during tourist season, according to National Geographic.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
-
The storms packed powerful winds, with parts of Leavenworth County reporting gusts up to 92 mph, according to storm reports submitted to the National Weather Service.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rainstorms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rainstorms. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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