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
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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
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Recent Examples of tempest
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
But flooding — and not just from those tropical tempests — is a multibillion-dollar threat that is largely untracked by government agencies and often kept secret from the public.
—Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025
This week, Kenvue, the consumer health spin-off from Johnson & Johnson, found itself at the epicenter of a market tempest this week.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
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
But flooding — and not just from those tropical tempests — is a multibillion-dollar threat that is largely untracked by government agencies and often kept secret from the public.
—Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025
This week, Kenvue, the consumer health spin-off from Johnson & Johnson, found itself at the epicenter of a market tempest this week.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempest
Noun
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The tragedy marked the second fatal incident involving North Texas students during the winter storm.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Several crashes have been reported across North Texas Wednesday morning, as roadways remain icy and hazardous following a winter storm that swept through the region this past weekend.—
Briauna Brown,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The changes to and cancellation of courses comes months after a viral video of a student confronting an instructor over her lessons threw Texas A&M, one of the largest universities in the country, into upheaval.—
Juan A. Lozano,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
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The junior point guard loves to throw caution to the wind and insert himself right into the middle of the action, causing upheaval for the opposing team while leaving no stone turned.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The sweeps, in addition to crowd-management responsibilities, are typically dealt with by local police, who often have more experience and training in de-escalating large demonstrations and tamping down civil unrest.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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But two shootings of US citizens and scenes of unrest in Minnesota are blotting out any hope of that.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One of the bloodiest moments in that revolution, which deposed the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and led to the rise of the incumbent Islamist regime, occurred on September 8, 1978.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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But unlike then, some of those calling for a revolution today are also pleading for American or Israeli intervention to help achieve it.—
Davood Moradian,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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At an event in Little Haiti’s Caribbean Marketplace in early January to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the earthquake that struck Haiti, a long roster of local leaders, politicians and activists spoke to the crowded room.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempest. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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