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
As of Wednesday, Michigan recorded 13 tornadoes in 2026, nearly reaching the state's average for tornadoes in a year.
—
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Several tornadoes struck northeast Kansas Monday, as the region experienced unexpected severe weather.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
The National Weather Service confirmed at least two tornadoes in western Michigan on Tuesday night.
—Dan Peck, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
There is also an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms the afternoon of April 3 across northern Missouri and southern Iowa, and chances for storms, large hail and tornadoes for parts of the Ozarks and northwest Texas, the weather service said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 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
Heavy damage from natural phenomena — tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires — has been on the rise for decades.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Severe weather events with tornadoes are definitely something that has and can happen around here in December.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Several tornadoes struck northeast Kansas Monday, as the region experienced unexpected severe weather.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
The National Weather Service confirmed at least two tornadoes in western Michigan on Tuesday night.
—Dan Peck, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
There is also an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms the afternoon of April 3 across northern Missouri and southern Iowa, and chances for storms, large hail and tornadoes for parts of the Ozarks and northwest Texas, the weather service said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 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
Heavy damage from natural phenomena — tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires — has been on the rise for decades.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
Severe weather events with tornadoes are definitely something that has and can happen around here in December.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tornadoes
hurricanes
Noun
-
Monitored by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Guam, super typhoons are the equivalent of Category 4 or 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic, with winds of at least 150 mph (240 kph).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Atlantic hurricanes are ranked on a scale of 1 to 5 that categorizes them by their capacity to cause damage.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tornadoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tornadoes. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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