variants
or volcanos
as in time bombs
a potentially explosive place or situation
after months of tension the roommates' living situation was a volcano
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of volcanoes
The Island of Hawaii features three famous volcanoes — Kilauea with its spectacular eruptions, Mauna Kea and its spectacular sunsets, and Mauna Loa, the world’s highest mountain when measured from its underwater base to the summit.
—
Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The other satellite system, NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), typically uses radar imaging to continually map and track changes across the Earth’s surface, including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and ice sheet collapses.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
Beautiful beaches, breaching whales and blazing volcanoes aside, the melting pot of cultures amid your enchanting islands has certainly created the most delicious one.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Why did there seem to be explosive volcanoes along the usually quiet mid-ocean ridge?
—Quanta Magazine, 26 May 2026
But Earth isn't the only planet in our solar system with volcanoes — extraterrestrial caves formed all across the solar system.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 25 May 2026
Thousands of earthquakes happen every year in Hawaii, most too tiny to be felt, due to activity from volcanoes or because of the weight of the islands pressing down on the Earth's underlying crust.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 23 May 2026
In Hawaiian culture, the volcanoes serve as a sacred landscape – called wahi kapu - and are regarded as the home to Pelehonuamea, a goddess representing creation and destruction, according to the park website.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024
In 2024, erupting volcanoes included the Villarrica volcano in Chile, Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in Indonesia, the Sundhnúksgígar crater chain in Iceland, Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico, Mount Etna in Sicily, Shiveluch volcano in Russia, and more.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2024
Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The other satellite system, NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), typically uses radar imaging to continually map and track changes across the Earth’s surface, including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and ice sheet collapses.
—Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
Beautiful beaches, breaching whales and blazing volcanoes aside, the melting pot of cultures amid your enchanting islands has certainly created the most delicious one.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Why did there seem to be explosive volcanoes along the usually quiet mid-ocean ridge?
—Quanta Magazine, 26 May 2026
But Earth isn't the only planet in our solar system with volcanoes — extraterrestrial caves formed all across the solar system.
—Tom Brown, Space.com, 25 May 2026
Thousands of earthquakes happen every year in Hawaii, most too tiny to be felt, due to activity from volcanoes or because of the weight of the islands pressing down on the Earth's underlying crust.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 23 May 2026
In Hawaiian culture, the volcanoes serve as a sacred landscape – called wahi kapu - and are regarded as the home to Pelehonuamea, a goddess representing creation and destruction, according to the park website.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024
In 2024, erupting volcanoes included the Villarrica volcano in Chile, Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in Indonesia, the Sundhnúksgígar crater chain in Iceland, Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico, Mount Etna in Sicily, Shiveluch volcano in Russia, and more.
—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for volcanoes
Noun
-
Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There are several other emotional powder kegs that need one little spark, and those babies are going all the way off.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The context for Xi’s remarks was a potential war between China and the United States over Taiwan, and the urgency to tamp down flash points.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
17 May 2026
-
Despite the focus on the Middle East, the leaders took up major regional flash points, including the South China Sea territorial disputes involving Beijing, a five-year civil war in Myanmar and a recent border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Volcanoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/volcanoes. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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