as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the audience responded to the comedian's joke with gales of laughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 gale
The weather in Wales was terrible, with snow and freezing temperatures and Arctic gales.
—
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
But not one single titter, giggle or full blown gale of laughter erupted from my mouth tonight.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026
The wings won’t rip off in a gale.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
There are hazardous beach and marine conditions with a high risk of life-threatening rip currents, gale warning and small craft advisories.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gale
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
But not one single titter, giggle or full blown gale of laughter erupted from my mouth tonight.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026
The wings won’t rip off in a gale.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
There are hazardous beach and marine conditions with a high risk of life-threatening rip currents, gale warning and small craft advisories.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gale
Noun
-
After a faulty cooling system was left to disrepair, rising temperatures resulted in an explosion with the equivalent force of 70-100 tons of TNT.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
To locals, Soviet leaders seemed to be downplaying the severity of the explosion.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As for Mitchell, James Tatum said, the burst of violence caught the family somewhat by surprise.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Apr. 2026
-
His quick steps can cause tackles to lose their balance, and his burst to turn pressures into sacks is tremendous.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Power lines were snapped and pulled down in Missouri, wind gusts in Wisconsin exceeded 70 mph, and heavy rain and intense lightning knocked down trees in Tennessee.—
Kathryn Prociv,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Residents can expect wind gusts of up to 50 mph.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Flagg and Knueppel traded places as betting favorites during the season, but Flagg’s 96-point outburst over two games on the second-to-last weekend might have tipped the scales.—
Schuyler Dixon,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Bears took control with a 5-0 outburst in the third quarter for a 12-7 advantage over the defending champions.—
Glae Thien,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The eruptions – yours, the partner’s – suggest that there’s a lot that’s been simmering underneath your interactions.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The eruptions — yours, the partner’s — suggest that there’s a lot that’s been simmering underneath your interactions.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pink flashes often come first, followed by green moments later.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Brooks, who’s still only 22, briefly showed flashes of explosiveness as a rookie before retearing his ACL at Philadelphia in December 2024.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Wildfires in Georgia and Florida continue to burn thousands of acres more than a week after the blazes began.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Crews in west Miami-Dade are continuing to monitor a large brush fire that broke out on Monday night as the blaze continues to grow in size.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The likelihood of lightning increases as a thunderstorm gets closer and reaches its highest point when the storm is directly overhead.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Some storms could produce hail larger than 3 inches in diameter, especially with stronger rotating cells.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gale. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
