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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The newsmagazine’s previous season was filled with commotion, but Whitaker says there is noise about something tied to the show almost every year.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Oprah Winfrey, who popped up earlier in the week at Ralph Lauren's fashion show, caused quite the commotion with her appearance at Christian Siriano's runway show Friday.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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One vessel recorded a minimum air pressure of 955 millibars and hurricane-force gusts topping 150 miles per hour.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
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Imelda is expected to track much closer to Bermuda than Humberto, with the potential for a direct landfall, sustained winds of more than 74 mph and higher gusts, and up to 4 inches of rain Wednesday into Thursday.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The disturbance is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 8 to 12 inches with isolated maximum totals of 16 inches in eastern Cuba, and 4 to 8 inches of rain in the Bahamas.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
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The disturbance draws Rafferty and his men into the heart of the crowd — and away from the entrances — to break up the skirmish.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Ravens have gotten off to a 1-3 start in a season for the first time since 2015, delivering an early blow to the team’s Super Bowl ambitions.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Then came the biggest blow with Gavi’s torn meniscus.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Combine the two in a non-reactive container and stir.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Unsurprisingly, the president's statements are causing a stir.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The idea behind the Tumbleweed project is to design large-scale, low-cost robotic rovers that can cover great swathes of the Martian surface while driven purely by the breeze.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
30 Sep. 2025
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The cuffed pants and the knee-length cardigan offer enough coverage to stay cozy against a cool breeze.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But few of his fellow citizens were in a hurry to follow him.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
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Convert some of those single points into threes and the gap closes in a hurry.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 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 2 Oct. 2025.
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