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
According to the federal agency, at least three tornadoes touched down during severe storms in Michigan last month.
—
Nick Lentz, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Damaging winds will be the primary threat with the line of storms, but large hail and a few tornadoes will also be possible, the weather service said.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
Severe storms are expected to develop Friday, April 3, across the Southern Plains and Midwest, bringing large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
How likely are tornadoes in Iowa on Thursday?
—Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register, 2 Apr. 2026
Some of these storms could become strong to severe with large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes all possible, according to the NWS.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026
Damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes are among the main threats.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Apr. 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
Nick Lentz, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Damaging winds will be the primary threat with the line of storms, but large hail and a few tornadoes will also be possible, the weather service said.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
Severe storms are expected to develop Friday, April 3, across the Southern Plains and Midwest, bringing large hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
How likely are tornadoes in Iowa on Thursday?
—Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register, 2 Apr. 2026
Some of these storms could become strong to severe with large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes all possible, according to the NWS.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026
Damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes are among the main threats.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tornadoes
hurricanes
Noun
-
This causes wind shear to increase, and this can tear apart nascent tropical storms and hurricanes — putting a damper on the Atlantic hurricane season.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The storm, which hit the New York area in October, 2012, unlocked billions of dollars in resilience spending, with hurricanes, rather than heat waves or cloudbursts, as the focus.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tornadoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tornadoes. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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