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.
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 tsunamis
Scientists have long understood this chain reaction, but a detailed look at how an earthquake-tsunami event unfolds at the source — a subduction-zone trench — has remained difficult to achieve.
—
Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
An echo of these matches lies in Human Mask (2014), a haunting video work by Pierre Huyghe, set in Fukushima after the destruction wrought by the tsunami and then the breakdown of the nuclear reactor.
—Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Indonesia’s meteorological agency lifted its tsunami warning hours after the quake, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said there was no destructive threat to the country, which is north of the quake’s epicenter.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Kesennuma While hit hard by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011, this charming port city has bounced back and become one of the region’s most underrated gems.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2026
In 2004, an extremely powerful Indian Ocean quake set off a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia's Aceh province.
—CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Others see the sea change as less a legal tsunami than a tidal cultural shift — one jurors in New Mexico and California are riding, not speaking into existence.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Tech giants are about to face a tsunami of lawsuits, from parents, young users, states, schools, and others who have railed against children’s exposure to social media.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
So grateful for the tsunami of prayers for our students, staff, & families.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
An echo of these matches lies in Human Mask (2014), a haunting video work by Pierre Huyghe, set in Fukushima after the destruction wrought by the tsunami and then the breakdown of the nuclear reactor.
—Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Indonesia’s meteorological agency lifted its tsunami warning hours after the quake, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said there was no destructive threat to the country, which is north of the quake’s epicenter.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Kesennuma While hit hard by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011, this charming port city has bounced back and become one of the region’s most underrated gems.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2026
In 2004, an extremely powerful Indian Ocean quake set off a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia's Aceh province.
—CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026
Others see the sea change as less a legal tsunami than a tidal cultural shift — one jurors in New Mexico and California are riding, not speaking into existence.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Tech giants are about to face a tsunami of lawsuits, from parents, young users, states, schools, and others who have railed against children’s exposure to social media.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
So grateful for the tsunami of prayers for our students, staff, & families.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Tsunamis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tsunamis. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
