as in outbursts
an outburst or display of excited anger
had a tantrum when he found his little sister using his model paints
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 tantrums
In some instances, people became restless dealing with red tape at the airport and had tantrums in the terminal.
—
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Sometimes moody and no stranger to tantrums, Tilson Thomas once stormed off the Hollywood Bowl stage to protest noise from a police helicopter — and won applause for the dramatic gesture.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Behavioral and Emotional Problems Children with PWS may have frequent temper tantrums, difficulty with changes in routine, or strong emotional reactions.
—Health, 13 Apr. 2026
The actress and mom of two recently took to her Instagram Stories to share a series of videos highlighting a trend some parents are using to help soothe their toddlers’ tantrums.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Parents are trying this new tactic to stop their kids' tantrums.
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Sometimes behavioral challenges—like a persistent inability to remain seated or excessive tantrums—are a sign that your kid could use professional support, such as from a child therapist, Whitmire says.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 6 Apr. 2026
Hurley is obviously more well-known than Underwood after back-to-back titles at UConn in 2023 and 2024, and his temper tantrums with officials are legendary.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Peak Tantrums Child development experts say tantrums themselves are far from unusual.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
Sometimes moody and no stranger to tantrums, Tilson Thomas once stormed off the Hollywood Bowl stage to protest noise from a police helicopter — and won applause for the dramatic gesture.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Behavioral and Emotional Problems Children with PWS may have frequent temper tantrums, difficulty with changes in routine, or strong emotional reactions.
—Health, 13 Apr. 2026
The actress and mom of two recently took to her Instagram Stories to share a series of videos highlighting a trend some parents are using to help soothe their toddlers’ tantrums.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Parents are trying this new tactic to stop their kids' tantrums.
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Sometimes behavioral challenges—like a persistent inability to remain seated or excessive tantrums—are a sign that your kid could use professional support, such as from a child therapist, Whitmire says.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 6 Apr. 2026
Hurley is obviously more well-known than Underwood after back-to-back titles at UConn in 2023 and 2024, and his temper tantrums with officials are legendary.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Peak Tantrums Child development experts say tantrums themselves are far from unusual.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tantrums
Noun
-
At 11 years old, after a series of violent outbursts, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
-
As a high-functioning alcoholic whose outbursts manifest as a kaiju on the other side of the world, Hathaway delivers one of her most limber performances in the darkly comic Colossal.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As much as Payton bristles about media storylines and huffs about tempo questions, the Broncos went 25 minutes without a first down against Las Vegas.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
22 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
So there is no real secret behind the scenes—just to work, to be honest, to meet personally with the people, to look into their eyes.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Rabbit Holed is Kieran Press-Reynolds’ weekly column exploring songs and scenes at the intersection of music and digital culture, separating shitpost genius from shitpassé lameness.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Gross grew up in a typical middle-class Jewish household in Long Island, but her father often flew into violent rages which her mother enabled.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
This is all in the first three paragraphs, and the breakdowns—a capacious category that, for Lemann, seems to encompass everything from rages to amiable fugues—do not let up.—
Brandy Jensen,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Use of inert bombs – or bombs with a small yield – could explain the lack of a large explosions or secondary blasts that an explosive warhead could cause, analysts said.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
The first of these explosions was spotted in 2018, and only 14 have been detected since, leading to a solid mystery for astronomers.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Nearby, two girls, ages 6 and 10, started wearing layers of surgical masks indoors, but that didn’t prevent their coughing fits.—
Lisa Song,
ProPublica,
7 May 2026
-
But these stars spit stuff out in fits and starts, not a steady stream.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Later, the Moon squares Mars in Aries, which can make reactions feel rushed.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 May 2026
-
The post quickly drew a wave of reactions online, with some users poking fun at both the situation and Jones’ outfit.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Early symptoms include headache, fever and nausea, before progressing to confusion, coma and seizures.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Preeclampsia can impair kidney and liver function, cause blood clotting problems, fluid in the lungs, seizures, and, in severe forms or when left untreated, result in maternal and infant death.—
Tina Sturdevant,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tantrums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tantrums. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
