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
May in Oklahoma tends to yield storms and tornadoes.
—
Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Intense thunderstorm lines can produce brief tornadoes and widespread significant wind damage.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
This includes the risk of damaging winds, lightning and tornadoes.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
Over most of the day, roughly 12 million people from eastern Texas up through western Kentucky were under a slight risk for severe weather, including the potential for damaging winds, large hail and even a few tornadoes.
—Shawnie Caslin Martucci, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2025
The storms produced at least two tornadoes, according to Chris Buonanno, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2025
Earlier this year, winter storms dumped up to 3 feet of snow in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, floods inundated burn scar regions risking mudslides, and powerful thunderstorms spawned tornadoes from Texas to Oklahoma.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
The main potential hazards are damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Strong winds capable of knocking out power and damaging or uprooting trees are the biggest threat, though there’s enough spin in the atmosphere to generate isolated tornadoes that can form quickly with little advance warning.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Intense thunderstorm lines can produce brief tornadoes and widespread significant wind damage.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
This includes the risk of damaging winds, lightning and tornadoes.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
Over most of the day, roughly 12 million people from eastern Texas up through western Kentucky were under a slight risk for severe weather, including the potential for damaging winds, large hail and even a few tornadoes.
—Shawnie Caslin Martucci, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2025
The storms produced at least two tornadoes, according to Chris Buonanno, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2025
Earlier this year, winter storms dumped up to 3 feet of snow in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, floods inundated burn scar regions risking mudslides, and powerful thunderstorms spawned tornadoes from Texas to Oklahoma.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
The main potential hazards are damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Strong winds capable of knocking out power and damaging or uprooting trees are the biggest threat, though there’s enough spin in the atmosphere to generate isolated tornadoes that can form quickly with little advance warning.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tornadoes
hurricanes
Noun
-
As storms slow down, there is potential for more hurricanes to be like Harvey.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Now is the time to improve your home’s ability to withstand hurricanes.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tornadoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tornadoes. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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