storm 1 of 2

1
as in thunderstorm
a disturbance of the atmosphere accompanied by wind and often by precipitation (as rain or snow) a winter storm bringing about six inches of snow

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2
as in barrage
a heavy fall of objects police had to endure a storm of rocks and bricks hurled by the rioters

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3
4
5
as in rain
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity the storm caused major damage to our barn

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a storm of indignation and demands for his resignation arose when the mayor's dishonesty was exposed

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7

storm

2 of 2

verb

1
2
as in to rain
to fall as water in a continuous stream of drops from the clouds it storms so frequently up in the mountains that the peaks are rarely visible from the valley below

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
as in to steam
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger by the time we arrived, our hostess was storming because dinner was ruined

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb storm contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of storm are assail, assault, attack, and bombard. While all these words mean "to make an onslaught upon," storm implies attempting to break into a defended position.

preparing to storm the fortress

When might assail be a better fit than storm?

While in some cases nearly identical to storm, assail implies attempting to break down resistance by repeated blows or shots.

assailed the enemy with artillery fire

Where would assault be a reasonable alternative to storm?

In some situations, the words assault and storm are roughly equivalent. However, assault suggests a direct attempt to overpower by suddenness and violence of onslaught.

commandos assaulted the building from all sides

When would attack be a good substitute for storm?

The words attack and storm can be used in similar contexts, but attack implies taking the initiative in a struggle.

plan to attack the town at dawn

When can bombard be used instead of storm?

The words bombard and storm are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bombard applies to attacking with bombs or shells.

bombarded the city nightly

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 storm
Noun
According to the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, the average Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, sees 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes—categories 3, 4, and 5. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 5 Sep. 2025 As someone who evacuated but was still directly impacted by the storm, Shepard used her lived experience to influence her research on colonial disasters. Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
In Bandung, protesters lit tires on fire, while in Ternate, police used teargas to stop crowds storming parliament buildings. Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025 There were unsubstantiated reports of a gunman in the facility, and the ATF, in a joint operation with the New Orleans SWAT team, stormed the location with guns drawn to hunt down a gunman who never materialized. Mandi Wright, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for storm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for storm
Noun
  • The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Chance of lightning increases as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is overhead.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Ukraine's air force said in a post to Telegram that Russia launched 810 drones and 13 missiles into the country in the latest barrage, of which 747 drones and four missiles were shot down.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the drone and missile barrage killed four people and caused damage across the north, south and east of the country, including the cities of Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih and Odesa, as well as in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
    Lidia Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The glass-half-full crowd would view such a flurry of transactions as evidence that five teams wanted Ureña enough to sign him.
    Mike Digiovanna, Oc Register, 7 Sep. 2025
  • In part of a flurry of motions from both sides in the past week, Stines is asking for a judge to release him on bail.
    Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But add to the equation local merchants and eateries and the vibes abounded, which is not to say the cause got lost in the commotion.
    Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
  • All the commotion around them was stifling.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • When heavy rain occurs, there is a risk of flooding, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone regions.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • In the last few years, Beyoncé, Pink, and Noah Kahan, among others, have had concerts canceled or delayed by extreme lightning, rain, or wildfire smoke.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The more massive stars can produce heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, all the way up to iron, in a sequence of fusion reactions that end in a supernova explosion.
    Luke Keller, Space.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • But two years ago, as the latest wave of artificial intelligence began reshaping education, Leskovec told Fortune he was rocked by the explosion of his field into the mainstream.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Advertisement What is the ‘axis of upheaval’?
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Democrats have called for Kennedy’s termination amid the CDC upheaval.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The research is even more interesting because of how different this region of the Milky Way is from the galactic plane, where supernovas usually rage.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Fleeing the raging war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Darfur state, residents sought shelter in the Marra Mountains area where food and medication are insufficient.
    Reuters, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Storm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/storm. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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