How to Use cloudburst in a Sentence

cloudburst

noun
  • A cloudburst caused the river to flood.
  • Our hot breaths were like cloudbursts in the thin Andean air.
    — Mark Johanson, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2023
  • The wins blurred, but one moment remains as vivid as a cloudburst.
    — Mark Whicker, Orange County Register, 9 Feb. 2017
  • Like a cloudburst in the desert, here comes the Honda to gully-wash the status quo.
    — Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 15 June 2023
  • Around them a cloudburst of rubber balls streamed through the air, like unfed birds sweeping in toward death.
    — Mimi Montgomery, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2019
  • The Yankees scored twice before the cloudburst to stake a 4-2 lead.
    — Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 May 2025
  • For Miami, the injury seemed to have the effect of a cloudburst.
    — Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2020
  • In summer, runoff from cloudbursts etches into the softer limestones and sluices through the deep runnels.
    — National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2019
  • Bison edge along a slough nearby as Horse Capture speaks; cloudbursts circle.
    — National Geographic, 16 Jan. 2020
  • The lesson shaped her office’s approach to cloudburst management.
    — Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • 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
  • 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
  • The whole experience tasted of the sea and the end of summer, punctuated by soft little cloudbursts on the palate.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
  • But then the World Cup came along and with it, a cloudburst of unfiltered national happiness.
    — Declan Walsh, New York Times, 23 June 2018
  • Then in mid-January, a cloudburst from a freak storm caused the Brisbane River to overflow its banks.
    — Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2012
  • Ruined once more, Ellicott City endured an hours-long cloudburst that drowned the town Sunday.
    — Jeff Halverson, Washington Post, 28 May 2018
  • The rain culminated in the record-setting cloudburst on July 20.
    — New York Times, 25 Sep. 2021
  • Trying to decipher jackets’ product specs is almost as annoying as getting soaked by a sudden cloudburst on the trail.
    — Adrienne So, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2022
  • This wasn’t an isolated cloudburst; this was a massive storm system that would drop 12 inches of rain on the region in less than 24 hours.
    — Josh Patterson, Outside Online, 22 May 2020
  • These tidal floods can have big impacts apart from the extreme effects of the hurricanes, tropical storms, and cloudbursts that are starting to arrive this summer.
    — Susan Crawford, WIRED, 18 July 2019
  • 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
  • Warmer air soaks up water like a sponge, and all this extra moisture can result in extreme rain and sudden downpours like cloudbursts, especially when that air meets the mountains.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Local authorities in both countries have said much of the deadly floods and landslides were triggered by sudden and violent bouts of torrential rain called cloudbursts.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Making matters worse with this flood were days of rain prior to Saturday’s cloudburst, resulting in saturated ground and soggy lawns, leaving runoff with no place to go.
    — Thomas Novelly, The Courier-Journal, 26 Feb. 2018
  • Earlier in the afternoon, thunderstorms packing winds of around 60 mph moved through the far southwest suburbs, as many parts of the Chicago area were hit by cloudbursts.
    — Liam Ford, chicagotribune.com, 5 July 2018
  • Uttarakhand, the mountainous northern state that hosts Dharali, has been devastated by cloudbursts before.
    — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Tuesday’s game between Cleveland and Tampa was also delayed for 23 minutes in the third inning when a cloudburst made conditions unplayable.
    — Joe Noga, cleveland, 28 Sep. 2022
  • Heavy rain is not uncommon in South Asia this time of year, but experts largely agree that the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts have increased in recent years, in part due to climate change.
    — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
  • The cloudburst that occurred in the area of a sacred Hindu cave about 75 miles west of Srinagar the previous day brought the Amarnath pilgrimage to a halt.
    — Shams Irfan, Washington Post, 9 July 2022
  • In neighbouring Uttarakhand, cloudbursts have wreaked havoc in a dozen villages of Uttarkashi district, washing away houses and swathes of agricultural land.
    — Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, 19 Aug. 2019

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cloudburst.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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