1
as in storm
a disturbance of the atmosphere accompanied by wind and often by precipitation (as rain or snow)
the sudden summertime tempest drove us off the golf course and into the clubhouse
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the town council handled the tempest over cuts to the school budget as well as could be expected
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tempest
These tempests created unpredictable conditions on the peak, confounded meteorologists, and stymied elite climbers hoping to set speed records.
—
Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 4 June 2025
Into this local tempest rode Richard Spencer on his own high white horse.
—Deborah Baker
june 3, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
Again, not for the first time in this matter, a tempest or a tea cup that is clear as mud.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 June 2025
Out of the midst of this thunder and turmoil and tempest rose Dr. Otto Lecher, serene and collected.
—Don Delillo, Harpers Magazine, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 4 June 2025
Into this local tempest rode Richard Spencer on his own high white horse.
—Deborah Baker
june 3, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025
Again, not for the first time in this matter, a tempest or a tea cup that is clear as mud.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 June 2025
Out of the midst of this thunder and turmoil and tempest rose Dr. Otto Lecher, serene and collected.
—Don Delillo, Harpers Magazine, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempest
Noun
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Shower and storm chances return as well -- stay tuned, and do your best to stay cool.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
-
The outages came after monsoon storms moved across the state, bringing heavy rain, wind and flash flooding risk.—
Sasha Hupka,
AZCentral.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Given the massive upheaval in Bieber’s life and business affairs, a brand new team around him, and his longest-ever wait in between records, industry insiders watched closely last week, wondering how Bieber would fare in the most-consequential era of his career to date.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
-
The Dignity Act comes in the wake of that upheaval.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
22 July 2025
Noun
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But the squall on the water was separate, less substantial in terms of both space and duration — and trickier to foresee, according to Colin McKellar, a meteorologist who was on duty Saturday in Reno.—
Ethan Wolin,
Sacbee.com,
24 June 2025
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The larger concern, once again, were the trees alongside the trail whose roots had largely been ripped from earth and now pointed down the mountain, ready to slide given the right squall.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Outside Online,
20 June 2025
Noun
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The company, which now has a manufacturing supply chain stretching from Vietnam to Peru, is in a decent position to weather trade unrest.—
Peter Vanham,
Fortune,
21 July 2025
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Volcanic unrest and gas hazard areas Contributing: Jennifer Borresen and Shawn J. Sullivan, USA TODAY.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
17 July 2025
Noun
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On the one hand, as Tevye is fond of saying, the story unfolds in a hardscrabble shtetl in the Ukrainian plains in the months leading up to the Russian Empire’s abortive 1905 revolution.—
David Lyman,
The Enquirer,
25 July 2025
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This will be difficult as the country’s economy is less broad-based compared with India and less cohesive compared with Sri Lanka, which has smartly recovered from its own revolution in 2022.—
Vasuki Shastry,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Noun
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On Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, a flurry of small earthquakes shook the Iliamna volcano on June 15.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
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While much of America has moved past COVID-19, the pandemic that hit the industry like an earthquake continues to experience aftershocks.—
Alexander Coolidge,
The Enquirer,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tempest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempest. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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