1
as in storm
a disturbance of the atmosphere accompanied by wind and often by precipitation (as rain or snow)
the sudden summertime tempest drove us off the golf course and into the clubhouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the town council handled the tempest over cuts to the school budget as well as could be expected
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 tempest
This gripping page-turner — featuring a decades-old murder, a writer in town to tell the real story and an oncoming tempest — feels like it was ripped from the juiciest headlines.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026
While the idea of a one-time tax on more than 200 people has a long way to go before getting onto the ballot and would need to be passed by voters in November, the tempest around it captures the zeitgeist of angst and anger at the core of California.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
This wild tempest of a tale set in Depression-era Nebraska follows a prairie witch and a high school girl swept up into a tumultuous western epic about the tragedies and ambitions of Manifest Destiny.
—Ron Charles, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Yet What Lane Will (Actually) Do is almost secondary to the tempest he’s created to get here.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026
While the idea of a one-time tax on more than 200 people has a long way to go before getting onto the ballot and would need to be passed by voters in November, the tempest around it captures the zeitgeist of angst and anger at the core of California.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
This wild tempest of a tale set in Depression-era Nebraska follows a prairie witch and a high school girl swept up into a tumultuous western epic about the tragedies and ambitions of Manifest Destiny.
—Ron Charles, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Yet What Lane Will (Actually) Do is almost secondary to the tempest he’s created to get here.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempest
Noun
-
Chance of lightning increases as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is overhead.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
-
By night, the scene softens with storm lanterns lit by hotel staff, who also patrol the premises.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The war's devastation has spilled across the region, throwing it into upheaval and leaving many questioning when the conflict will end and how much more will be lost.—
Ava Berger,
NPR,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The film chronicles a global panic and societal upheaval when humanity receives undeniable proof that aliens exist.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Back then, neither of us could have foreseen the pandemic, Georgia’s growing political unrest, a war in neighboring Ukraine, or the collapse of several multi-brand retailers, which altogether has slowed down progress for Situationist and Georgian fashion more broadly.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Cruise lines may adjust itineraries due to security concerns, such as military action or civil unrest, along with other reasons like severe weather.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Hours earlier, Orban's supporters had massed in front of parliament on the country's annual commemoration of its 1848 revolution against Habsburg rule.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Díaz-Canel’s words masked what was, for adherents of a revolution celebrated by the global left, a painful reality.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The federal government designated Haiti for TPS the first time after the devastating 2010 earthquake near Port-Au-Prince.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempest. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
