Thesaurus results for PAROXYSMS

paroxysms

noun

plural of paroxysm

as in bursts

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a paroxysm of laughter greeted the pratfall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in upheavals

a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order) Darwin's introduction of the theory of evolution created paroxysms in both religion and science that are still being felt today

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 paroxysms Preparing a tax return can trigger paroxysms of stress at the best of times. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026 Also, stars in this frenzied state aren’t terribly stable; the fusion rate can be tempestuous, and the star undergoes incredibly violent paroxysms. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026 The post is now nearing a hundred million views and inspiring paroxysms of millennial self-reckoning. — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysms

Noun

Cue the lovelorn weeping in the rain set to composer Roger Goula’s supple string score, and before us, a sweeping love epic bursts alive with real pain.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
The machine generated about a dozen or so graphs, marked by human figures and bursts of colors that denoted energy fields, broken down by organ—and even tooth.

— Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of bursts

Noun

Against encroaching social upheavals, the sovereign was resolutely the center of a mercantilist universe.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
The underlying motivation for African policymakers is to untether their economies from commodity cycles and, by extension, the upheavals that come with them.

— Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of upheavals

Noun

The cause of their displeasure has to do with scenes woven throughout that illustrate how Baldwin got his reputation for angry outbursts – confrontations with paparazzi through the years, for instance.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
As a result, military children and teenagers may experience social withdrawal, angry outbursts and mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.

— Nikki R Wooten, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of outbursts

Noun

Since the late nineteenth century, raw white-lead was known to pose a substantial health risk to those exposed to it, prompting symptoms such as swelling of the brain, epileptic convulsions, paralysis, severe colic, and death.

— Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
In amphibians, chytridiomycosis causes a wide variety of symptoms including skin damage, red skin, convulsions, and eventually leads to heart failure.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of convulsions

Noun

The explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was Russia's main natural gas supply route to Germany until Moscow cut off supplies in August 2022.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Russia’s ballistic missiles can reach Kyiv in just minutes, leaving little time to respond; in some recent attacks, air raid sirens sounded at the same time as the first explosions.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of explosions

Noun

Major technology revolutions have always triggered dramatic boom-bust cycles.

— RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Few contemporary authors embody that idea more than Becky Chambers, whose stories imagine alternative futures—not through grand revolutions or galaxy-spanning battles but through ordinary people trying to care for one another.

— Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of revolutions

Noun

Xu Fu and Ma Junsheng also play surrogate dads to Seif, whose increasingly violent eruptions threaten to change the course of his life more than once.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
As of last month, 52 additional fountain eruptions had occurred, the most violent of which spewed lava over 400 meters into the air.

— John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of eruptions

Noun

Panamanian authorities had not attributed any deaths to the earthquakes.

— Aris Mariota, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
David Ryder | Reuters The typical homeowners insurance policy excludes or limits coverage for damage from certain disasters, such as earthquakes, landslides and floods, according to insurance experts.

— Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of earthquakes

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paroxysmal

paroxysms

parricide

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“Paroxysms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysms. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of paroxysms

noun

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