as in rain
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity the weatherman warned of possible cloudbursts in the afternoon

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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 cloudburst Homes in some districts were also washed away after a cloudburst — a sudden, very heavy rain — Sunday night, leaving roads flooded and people stranded. Chonchui Ngashangva and Sibi Arasu, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2023 Our hot breaths were like cloudbursts in the thin Andean air. Mark Johanson, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2023 Like a cloudburst in the desert, here comes the Honda to gully-wash the status quo. Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 15 June 2023 Why work so hard to verify a cloudburst of butterflies migrating so long ago through the busiest part of one of the busiest cities on Earth? Longreads, 11 Mar. 2022 See All Example Sentences for cloudburst
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloudburst
Noun
  • By Thursday evening, five inches of rain had fallen in parts of western Texas, including Midland and Odessa.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2025
  • The Guadalupe River has had a history of floods, with one of the most prominent incidents occurring in 1987, when five to 10 inches of rain fell in the upper headwaters of the river’s basin.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • The conditions that led to this disaster - intense moisture in the atmosphere from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry and slow-moving storm systems, meeting specific geography of steep terrain and lack of vegetation - are textbook examples of how a warming world amplifies risk.
    María Mendiluce, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
  • Try to unplug unnecessary appliances before the storms approach.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2025

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“Cloudburst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cloudburst. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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