windstorm
Americannoun
noun
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A storm with high winds or violent gusts but little or no rain. Winds with speeds up to 241 km (149 mi) per hour have been recorded during windstorms.
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See also tornado
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of windstorm
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at wind 1, storm
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.
The agency has advised residents to stay in the lower levels of their home during the windstorm and to avoid windows.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026
This latest windstorm brought gusts from the north to northeast; in a typical Santa Ana wind event, they come from the east to northeast, said weather service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025
Google said Monday it is partnering with NextEra Energy to reopen the Duane Arnold Energy Center, a nuclear plant that closed five years ago after damage from a windstorm.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025
Detecting long-term trends is challenging, as windstorm activity naturally fluctuates from year-to-year and across decades.
From BBC • Aug. 31, 2025
Sparks jumped across the river as the machine’s windstorm stirred the fire to a new intensity.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
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.
