updraft
Americannoun
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An upward current of warm, moist air. With enough moisture, the current may visibly condense into a cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud.
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Compare downdraft
Etymology
Origin of updraft
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at up-, draft
Vocabulary lists containing updraft
Physical Geography - Middle School
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Physical Geography - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Traders will recall that Oracle’s earnings report last September created a massive updraft of more than 100 points in the stock — which it quickly gave back and then some.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
They're caused by a sudden updraft in humid, moist air, which leads to a heavy and localised burst of rain.
From BBC • Aug. 24, 2025
Dust devils stem from a difference in heating that causes an updraft in one area and a downdraft in another, said Jeff Masters, founder of Weather Underground and now with Yale Climate Connections.
From Seattle Times • May 1, 2024
That months-long updraft in yields saw a sharp reversal last week after the U.S.
From Reuters • Nov. 8, 2023
She found an updraft on the side of her mountain and rode it without beating a wing.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
