tsunami

noun

Definition of tsunaminext
as in surge
a very high, large wave in the ocean that is usually caused by an earthquake under the sea and that can cause great destruction when it reaches land The coastline will suffer devastating damage if a tsunami ever hits it.

Related Words

Relevance

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 tsunami The threat of tsunami has likely largely receded, says USGS seismologist Susan Hough, as the quake occurred on land and happened at a relatively shallow depth. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026 Despite the potential danger to coastal communities near the earthquake, officials said a Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 If polls overestimated Republicans by that amount, Democrats might experience a tsunami. — Scott Clement, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026 But without sharp strategy and human judgment, AI will only accelerate a tsunami of sameness. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tsunami
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tsunami
  1. surge
  2. surf
  3. swell
  4. tidal wave
Noun
  • This year, thanks to the surge in oil prices caused by the war in Iran, Diamondback’s second-quarter profits per share more than doubled from last year; Wall Street expects another boost when third-quarter earnings are released in a few weeks.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Martinez-Olguin sided with groups that sued over the noncitizen voting investigation surge, including the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United.
    — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of surge
Noun
  • There is a small chance for isolated Coastal Flood Warnings (highest chances Wednesday-Thursday) if larger surf develops.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Washout risks, high surf and erosion have closed the rail line for days over the summer.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of surf
Noun
  • The coastal flooding in the next few days is expected to be different from earlier rounds, which were heavily influenced by powerful swells from the remnants of hurricanes Marie and Rachel.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • California did not experience any rain or wind before massive swells overtook Laguna Beach, where a portion of the PCH remains closed as sections crack and slide down toward the ocean.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of swell
Noun
  • European leaders have adopted a more aggressive stance to shield native businesses from a tidal wave of Chinese imports, which policymakers have blamed for deep job losses among European automakers and other sectors.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Now, more hiring managers are confronting the tidal wave of job candidates with their own AI tools.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of tidal wave

Browse Nearby Words

tsk-tsks
tsunami
tsunamis
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tsunami.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tsunami. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on tsunami

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tsunami

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All