pandemic 1 of 2

Definition of pandemicnext
as in epidemic
medical an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world The 1918 flu pandemic claimed millions of lives. the AIDS pandemic

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pandemic

2 of 2

adjective

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 pandemic
Noun
Though the gauge measuring American consumers’ confidence has ticked up the past two months, the reading remains mired near its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic. Matt Ott, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026 Both figures are a far cry from the mid-to-upper teens full-year operating margin that Starbucks routinely delivered before the pandemic. Paulina Likos, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The percentage of highway commuters, mainly those from the suburbs heading to the core city, has increased to pre-COVID-19 pandemic numbers logged in 2019. Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026 Most auction houses rushed to develop their online presences when the pandemic hit, making sales comparisons between that pre-2020 and now difficult. News Desk, Artforum, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pandemic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pandemic
Noun
  • As part of the settlement, Purdue is being replaced by Knoa Pharma, with a board appointed by states and a mission to fight the opioid epidemic.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 May 2026
  • Kennedy said in a social media post that her experience with breast cancer patients and early detection will help the Republican administration take on the chronic disease epidemic.
    Ali Swenson, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Adjective
  • One of the earliest examples of citizen journalism took place before the widespread use of the Internet.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Social media posts indicated a widespread skepticism about the school board’s request, and the finance board Tuesday night endorsed cutting the education increase by $125,000.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Food insecurity among college students also remains a pervasive national issue.
    Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The Court held that the Federal Communications Commission’s actions were justified because of the government’s interest in protecting children from offensive material and because broadcast media are uniquely pervasive and also uniquely accessible to children.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • In addition, with weight loss often comes excess skin, another condition Kamal increasingly encounters as semiglutides become more prevalent.
    Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Our social problem of bad food being so prevalent and so cheap and being subsidized by the government.
    Torie Bosch, STAT, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Much like the demonstrations two decades ago, organizers on Friday also called for a general boycott — no school, no work, no shopping — in an effort to demand that the country put workers above billionaires by taxing the rich.
    Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
  • The one issue for Banchero, and the Magic in general, was free-throw shooting.
    Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Adjective
  • Mellencamp’s tale of two lovers on the cusp of adulthood, staring down the barrel of societal expectations—with mortality looming in the background—is rife with the details of an Indiana that raised the singer.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
  • But the Raiders organization is rife with quarterback misfires in its recent history.
    Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Further, the report said the operation harmed Chicago’s civic life, businesses and public trust in law enforcement.
    Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
  • But less than an hour of the recordings has ever been made public.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
Adjective
  • The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.
    Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pandemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pandemic. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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