variants
also tsunami
as in seas
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 tsunamis
The March 11, 2011, quake and tsunami destroyed cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing meltdowns at reactors 1, 2 and 3.
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Arkansas Online, 21 Mar. 2026
Set against the backdrop of the city’s recovery from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the film traces the two women’s gradual reconciliation through their father’s photographs, exploring themes of loss, identity and the Filipino diaspora.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
After the tsunami, the storm, and the EMP, things were hard on the surface, but people formed communities, friendships, and relationships.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
Monitors like innkeeper Tomoko Kobayashi share radiation data to revitalize towns people left after the Fukushima earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
Faced with independent inspectors finding safety problems at the plant, the government regulators effectively allowed Fukushima to police itself, leading to several major issues that came to a head when the plant was overwhelmed by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
Tepco owns the site that was overwhelmed when Japan’s strongest-ever earthquake triggered the tsunami on March 11, 2011.
—Yusuke Maekawa, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
But when the tsunami generated by the shock destabilized the cooling systems of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the potential for disaster became exponentially greater.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
There were countless moments of sudden retreat and explosive payoff, like the eerie calm before a tsunami.
—Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
Arkansas Online, 21 Mar. 2026
Set against the backdrop of the city’s recovery from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the film traces the two women’s gradual reconciliation through their father’s photographs, exploring themes of loss, identity and the Filipino diaspora.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
After the tsunami, the storm, and the EMP, things were hard on the surface, but people formed communities, friendships, and relationships.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
Monitors like innkeeper Tomoko Kobayashi share radiation data to revitalize towns people left after the Fukushima earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
Faced with independent inspectors finding safety problems at the plant, the government regulators effectively allowed Fukushima to police itself, leading to several major issues that came to a head when the plant was overwhelmed by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
Tepco owns the site that was overwhelmed when Japan’s strongest-ever earthquake triggered the tsunami on March 11, 2011.
—Yusuke Maekawa, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
But when the tsunami generated by the shock destabilized the cooling systems of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the potential for disaster became exponentially greater.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
There were countless moments of sudden retreat and explosive payoff, like the eerie calm before a tsunami.
—Mano Sundaresan, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tsunamis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tsunamis. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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