as in surge
a very high, large wave in the ocean that is usually caused by an earthquake under the sea and that can cause great destruction when it reaches land
The coastline will suffer devastating damage if a tsunami ever hits it.
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Recent Examples of tsunami
More than 22,000 people were killed and nearly half a million people were forced to flee their homes, most of them due to tsunami damage.
—
CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The agency also warned the first tsunami waves could reach parts of the northern coastline immediately.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
So far, observations of tsunami waves have been well below the warning level that was issued.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
The earthquake prompted a tsunami warning, with waves of up to 2½ feet reported.
—Will Clark, NBC news, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tsunami
CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
The agency also warned the first tsunami waves could reach parts of the northern coastline immediately.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
So far, observations of tsunami waves have been well below the warning level that was issued.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
The earthquake prompted a tsunami warning, with waves of up to 2½ feet reported.
—Will Clark, NBC news, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tsunami
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tsunami
Noun
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Florida has long attracted those looking to trade crowded city life for sunshine, space and a lower cost of living, and even as the pandemic-era surge has cooled the appeal remains.—
Tracy Yochum,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
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Questions were frequently posed during the great immigration surge in the five decades from the 1880s to the 1920s.—
Lawrence Glickman,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Soft white sand, clear waters and excellent surf draw beachgoers to this vast beach.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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That shark was spotted after the Vans Jack’s Surfboard Pro contest had ended for the day and shut down the ocean for 24 hours, including the surf competition the next day.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The curve of the land shields the coastline from a heavier swell from the Atlantic, so the water remains calm and clear for long stretches.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
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Visitors should be cautious about going into a sea cave without a guide, as a swell can flow into it and dramatically raise the water level in a matter of seconds, pushing kayaks into rocks and leaving little air for those trapped inside.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The world is already facing a plastic tidal wave, with waste levels on track to nearly triple by 2060 if it is not controlled.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
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The massive amounts of debris that impact created then crashed back to the lunar surface, creating a tidal wave 11 times taller than Mount Everest and then sloshing around for two hours to form the outer two of the basin’s three concentric rims.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tsunami.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tsunami. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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