variants
or tornados
as in hurricanes
a violent and destructive storm in which powerful winds move around a central point
A siren alerted the town that they were in the path of a tornado. a tornado warning
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Recent Examples of tornadoes
Supercells are more likely to produce tornadoes than other types of thunderstorms, but twisters are still possible in other storms elsewhere in the Midwest and into parts of the Plains.
—
Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
Southeast Michigan is facing another day of potentially severe weather on Wednesday, with damaging wind gusts, large hail, torrential rainfall, and a few isolated tornadoes all possible as a strong storm system moves through the Great Lakes.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Central Illinois and western Indiana have moderate risks of severe weather, including tornadoes and high winds.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026
The system could also produce tornadoes beginning Tuesday night threatening areas from the upper Texas coast across southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the the Florida Panhandle, forecasters warn.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026
Both Crawford County tornadoes had ratings of EF-1.
—Finch Walker, USA Today, 17 June 2026
The storms could to persist in the region through the weekend, threatening additional rainfall, hail and possible tornadoes across Louisiana and Alabama.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2024
Damaging winds and a few tornadoes will be possible.
—Max Golembo, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2024
Heavy damage from natural phenomena — tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires — has been on the rise for decades.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
Southeast Michigan is facing another day of potentially severe weather on Wednesday, with damaging wind gusts, large hail, torrential rainfall, and a few isolated tornadoes all possible as a strong storm system moves through the Great Lakes.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Central Illinois and western Indiana have moderate risks of severe weather, including tornadoes and high winds.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026
The system could also produce tornadoes beginning Tuesday night threatening areas from the upper Texas coast across southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the the Florida Panhandle, forecasters warn.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026
Both Crawford County tornadoes had ratings of EF-1.
—Finch Walker, USA Today, 17 June 2026
The storms could to persist in the region through the weekend, threatening additional rainfall, hail and possible tornadoes across Louisiana and Alabama.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2024
Damaging winds and a few tornadoes will be possible.
—Max Golembo, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2024
Heavy damage from natural phenomena — tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires — has been on the rise for decades.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tornadoes
hurricanes
Noun
-
In the film, Gore also discussed how warming oceans would cause hurricanes to be more destructive.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
-
That includes three to six hurricanes, one to three of which could be major storms.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tornadoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tornadoes. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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