onrush

noun

on·​rush ˈȯn-ˌrəsh How to pronounce onrush (audio)
ˈän-
1
: a rushing forward or onward
2
: onset
onrushing adjective

Examples of onrush in a Sentence

a sudden onrush of development in an area that was rural until very recently
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The joys of the past week; the Christmas presents, the Hanukkah latkes and the unity and faith of Kwanzaa can soon be merely memories that get lost in the onrush of time and life. Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 30 Dec. 2024 Pure knowledge work is more likely to be disrupted by the onrush of AI technology than will be jobs that require manipulating objects in the real world. Ray Ravaglia, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024 Ching may be somewhat narratively sidelined, but Mui’s final screen performance is a thing of aching delicacy and the movie’s stealth emotional weapon, marked by a restraint that gives way, in the end, to a cathartic onrush of tears. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 23 July 2024 Few things are more thrilling than the sudden onrush of protagonism that clings to a player who’s hit a few shots in a row and is about to make the story of the game about himself. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for onrush

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1784, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of onrush was circa 1784

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Cite this Entry

“Onrush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onrush. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

onrush

noun
on·​rush ˈȯn-ˌrəsh How to pronounce onrush (audio)
ˈän-
: a rushing forward or onward
onrushing adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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