1
as in storms
a disturbance of the atmosphere accompanied by wind and often by precipitation (as rain or snow)
a snow squall is expected tonight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in commotions
a state of noisy, confused activity
the annual squall created when the store holds its biggest sale of the year
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in shrieks
to cry out loudly and emotionally
the baby squalled in pain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of squalls
Cutter Martin, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Snow squalls could cause sudden whiteout conditions on interstates between the Great Lakes and Appalachians.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
Snow squalls, often associated with strong cold fronts, are sudden, intense bursts of snow that typically produce an inch or less of accumulation and last 30-60 minutes in a small area, according to the National Weather Service.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Flurries, snow showers and squalls swept in with the first Arctic front across New York and New England, and more snow will extend from the Plains into the Midwest this weekend, AccuWeather said.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
Noun
Winds will gust up to 35 MPH as squalls move through.
—Cutter Martin, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Snow squalls could cause sudden whiteout conditions on interstates between the Great Lakes and Appalachians.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
Snow squalls, often associated with strong cold fronts, are sudden, intense bursts of snow that typically produce an inch or less of accumulation and last 30-60 minutes in a small area, according to the National Weather Service.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Flurries, snow showers and squalls swept in with the first Arctic front across New York and New England, and more snow will extend from the Plains into the Midwest this weekend, AccuWeather said.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squalls
Noun
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that more than 2,400 potholes have been repaired across the city in the week following a series of powerful winter storms that doused the region with rain over the Christmas and New Year's holidays.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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There’s roughly two and a half months left of the winter season, which means that there are plenty of chilly evenings, snow storms, and freeze warnings to look forward to.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The remaining three calls were related to minor disturbances in 2013, 2014 and 2017.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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The country’s strong standing in safety could stem from several factors, including societal structure, strict laws, and cultural focus on harmony, which keep street crime and public disturbances very low.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trains are drowning out the coach’s voice, the wind squeals in my hearing aids.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
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That stretch screams points, and the wise move might be to start planning your route to Salah.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In the waning minutes of the first quarter of Sunday’s Chiefs-Bills broadcast, CBS’ lead color analyst began making a series of noises that sounded like the Hamburglar going through a bad divorce.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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These noises typically indicate that the load needs to be redistributed, but can also be a sign of other problems.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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About two couples, connected and dependent on one another, raising their kids alongside each other, facing the same turmoils, the same existential questions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Mayer and Strong offer a broad pop-history lesson, in which the same tensions and turmoils churn on and on in their terrible cycle throughout the decades; the only thing that’s changed are the aesthetics.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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Here, sea level rise is accelerating at some of the most extreme rates on Earth, while hurricanes increasingly are swirling ashore with an unprecedented ferociousness.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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Some of this, of course, is related to fires in California and hurricanes in the southeast that destroyed an enormous amount of utility infrastructure.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squalls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squalls. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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