1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
the surprise verdict of the jury created a wild williwaw as reporters rushed to file their stories
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gust
a sudden brief rush of wind
a williwaw rose up seemingly out of nowhere and wreaked havoc with our campsite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of williwaw
The williwaw, a gale-force wind that came rolling down the mountain gathering speed, was depicted as a whorled cloud.
—
Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Sep. 2022
The williwaw gusts swirled thick fog among transport ships off Attu Island, and the waiting infantrymen nervously mulled the name of their landing site: Massacre Bay.
—Alex Horton, Washington Post, 24 May 2018
Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Sep. 2022
The williwaw gusts swirled thick fog among transport ships off Attu Island, and the waiting infantrymen nervously mulled the name of their landing site: Massacre Bay.
—Alex Horton, Washington Post, 24 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for williwaw
Noun
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Shannon moans right about the time Jenn walks out to see what the commotion is all about.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
10 Oct. 2025
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Glenn wasn’t met with cheers or the sounds of flashing cameras — there was a distinct lack of commotion.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Coastal flooding, heavy surf and wind gusts approaching 100 miles per hour along portions of Alaska’s West Coast were forecast.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
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Search operations continue for the three missing people as the NWS maintains flood warnings through Monday, with wind gusts reaching 70 mph in parts of Norton Sound.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The popular Bandai Namco childlike-horror franchise Little Nightmares is back and with more disturbances in tow.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
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Once formed, these waves can travel across entire ocean basins, radiating outward from the point of disturbance and impacting coastlines far from the origin.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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China’s sweeping new restrictions, some of which won’t take effect until November, could deal a huge blow to East Asian economies, such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, which play critical roles in the global tech and artificial intelligence supply chain, as well as the auto industries.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
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Though no plant jobs were lost, just reallocated, the move still came as a blow, according to UAW Local 14 President Tony Totty.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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To make the stir fry sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together the broth (or water), soy sauce, brown sugar, Shaoxing wine (or more broth), cornstarch, sesame oil, ginger and garlic.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
9 Oct. 2025
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The bakery aisle of the megastore caused quite a stir back in March when Costco introduced a new carrot cake.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The only squib marks left on anyone were on the almost 5,000 patrons who braved one of the most refreshingly moderate ocean breezes California has to offer to see maybe still the best homegrown group California has had to offer in any recent year.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
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Looking for a vacation that involves plenty of sand between your toes, fantastic seafood, and the perfect ocean breeze kissing your cheek?—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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To Cuomo, Mamdani is a young man in a hurry whose lack of experience should disqualify him from leading America's largest city.—
Christian Orozco,
NBC news,
16 Oct. 2025
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Both teams can put up points in a hurry.—
Matt Schubert,
Denver Post,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Winners that scud through the court from all directions.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
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In low, clear water when trout are spooky, a bait presented on a dry fly or scud hook will drift more naturally with the current and that can mean the difference between a take and a pass.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
7 Mar. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Williwaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/williwaw. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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