thundered; thundering
ˈthən-d(ə-)riŋ 
1
a
: to produce thunder
—usually used impersonally
it thundered
b
: to give forth a sound that resembles thunder
horses thundered down the road
Synonyms
Examples of thunder in a Sentence
Noun
Her dog is afraid of thunder.
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed.
Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder.
We could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.
the thunder of horses' hooves
the distant thunder of cannon fire
She accepted the award to a thunder of applause.
Verb
The sky thundered and the rain poured down.
It was raining and thundering all night.
Guns thundered in the distance.
Horses thundered down the road.
Trucks thundered past on the highway.
“How dare you come into my house!” he thundered.
Recent Examples on the Web
Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
In a statement Sunday, Carnival Cruises acknowledged witness reports of a lightning strike or the sound of thunder before the fire erupted.
—Marissa Parra, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
Wait for 30 minutes after the final lightning or thunder before heading outside again.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024
This could explain the origin of the Apache legend that these mountains are the home of the thunder gods.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
The explosions, the police said, are expected to sound like thunder with send vibrations.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024
It’s made of sturdy wood that won’t break or crack, even in the event of a springtime thunder storm.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2024
Showers, and even some very loud rumbles of thunder, primarily focused their attention to the north and west of the city today.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024
While most of the rain is light, a few heavier downpours and even a rumble of thunder can’t be ruled out.
—Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Denise Chow, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
Surrounded by the detritus of a Thanksgiving dinner, the woman was loading the dishwasher when a loud thump thundered through the house.
—Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Miami will feel the low frequency rumble of thundering techno — and perhaps some forecast thunderstorms — as the masses descend on Bayfront Park in downtown Miami to see and hear hundreds of DJs crank up the beats for the 24th annual Ultra Music Festival.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
Breed shouted to thundering applause from the patio at the hip cocktail bar Anina.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024
Pro-regime forces sent jets thundering overhead, and ordnance crashed down at random.
—Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
In town, local kids thundered around on snowmobiles, except for one: a quiet 16-year-old named Destiny.
—Sophy Roberts, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Feb. 2024
Take some easy hikes in the Wonderland of Rocks, finishing up just as the thundering hordes start pouring in.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
It’s been a jarring contrast, two springs connected by a season that thundered out of the gate and ended with a thud.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
Noun
Skies will be mostly cloudy throughout the day with some thunder in the evening.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
In a statement Sunday, Carnival Cruises acknowledged witness reports of a lightning strike or the sound of thunder before the fire erupted.
—Marissa Parra, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
Wait for 30 minutes after the final lightning or thunder before heading outside again.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024
This could explain the origin of the Apache legend that these mountains are the home of the thunder gods.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
The explosions, the police said, are expected to sound like thunder with send vibrations.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024
It’s made of sturdy wood that won’t break or crack, even in the event of a springtime thunder storm.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2024
Showers, and even some very loud rumbles of thunder, primarily focused their attention to the north and west of the city today.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024
While most of the rain is light, a few heavier downpours and even a rumble of thunder can’t be ruled out.
—Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
SpaceX’s next-generation mega rocket launched Thursday morning, thundering into orbit on a key test flight meant to demonstrate new technologies and techniques that will be crucial on future missions to the moon and beyond.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
Surrounded by the detritus of a Thanksgiving dinner, the woman was loading the dishwasher when a loud thump thundered through the house.
—Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Miami will feel the low frequency rumble of thundering techno — and perhaps some forecast thunderstorms — as the masses descend on Bayfront Park in downtown Miami to see and hear hundreds of DJs crank up the beats for the 24th annual Ultra Music Festival.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
Breed shouted to thundering applause from the patio at the hip cocktail bar Anina.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024
Pro-regime forces sent jets thundering overhead, and ordnance crashed down at random.
—Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
In town, local kids thundered around on snowmobiles, except for one: a quiet 16-year-old named Destiny.
—Sophy Roberts, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Feb. 2024
Take some easy hikes in the Wonderland of Rocks, finishing up just as the thundering hordes start pouring in.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
It’s been a jarring contrast, two springs connected by a season that thundered out of the gate and ended with a thud.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thunder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to thunder
Dictionary Entries Near thunder
Cite this Entry
“Thunder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thunder. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thunder
1 of 2 noun
thun·der
ˈthən-dər
1
: the loud sound that follows a flash of lightning
2
: a noise like thunder
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