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.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tsunami
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted with a power hundreds of times stronger than the Hiroshima nuclear explosion, setting off a tsunami and a sonic boom that went around the planet twice.
—
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
The odds are that many of the state-level laws would run afoul of a federal mandate, and a tsunami of legal cases would arise as a tussle between federal law and state law is undertaken.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
No tsunami warning has been issued in relation to the earthquake, according to the USGS.
—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
That's the change in my life from the tsunami.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tsunami
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
The odds are that many of the state-level laws would run afoul of a federal mandate, and a tsunami of legal cases would arise as a tussle between federal law and state law is undertaken.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
No tsunami warning has been issued in relation to the earthquake, according to the USGS.
—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
That's the change in my life from the tsunami.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tsunami
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tsunami
Noun
-
The surge in attacks has been fueled by several factors.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
The Garden crowd didn’t really start to rock until Anunoby’s three-pointer capped an 11-2 surge that cut it to 40-38.—
Brian Mahoney,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Dominical, another popular surf destination located next to Uvita, has a smattering of luxury villas and hotels, like Lamangata Luxury Surf Resort.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
Big surf from a previous swell contributed to a drowning Saturday off Dana Point and, on Wednesday afternoon, the search continued for a young girl swept off the sand Tuesday evening in Laguna Beach.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The surf in Los Angeles County, while large, wasn’t as big as Orange County due to offshore islands blocking the swells into the Santa Monica Bay, said Los Angeles Fire Department Lifeguard Capt.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
-
Law enforcement broke up emotional swells from people on both sides.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Nor does freedom of speech seem an unambiguous value as a tidal wave of toxic disinformation washes over the republic in its 250th year.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
-
Then-President Joe Biden’s party lost nine seats and control of the House that year — not a political tidal wave as many pundits predicted, but a defeat nonetheless.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tsunami.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tsunami. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
