avalanche

1 of 2

noun

av·​a·​lanche ˈa-və-ˌlanch How to pronounce avalanche (audio)
Synonyms of avalanche
1
: a large mass of snow, ice, earth, rock, or other material in swift motion down a mountainside or over a precipice
2
: a sudden great or overwhelming rush or accumulation of something
hit by an avalanche of paperwork
3
physics : a cumulative process in which photons or accelerated charge carriers produce additional photons or charge carriers through collisions (as with gas molecules)

avalanche

2 of 2

verb

avalanched; avalanching

intransitive verb

: to descend in an avalanche
Snow avalanched down the mountain.

transitive verb

: overwhelm, flood
The office was avalanched with applications.

Examples of avalanche in a Sentence

Noun He was buried by an avalanche.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Rescue operations and clean-up crews are still working in the wake of last week’s devastating debris avalanche and floods in Nepal and Tibet. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026 But halfway through the trip, an earthquake strikes, causing an avalanche that destroys their mountainside path, separates them from John and strands them 4,000 feet in the air. — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
Few things bridge South Florida cultures better than the mango, the juicy-sticky-sweet tropical tree fruit that avalanches our backyards all summer long. — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026 Let’s assume some calamity like that might avalanche its way into North Texas sometime this winter. — Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for avalanche

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French, from French dialect (Franco-Provençal) lavantse, avalantse

First Known Use

Noun

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1826, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of avalanche was in 1744

Rhymes for avalanche

See All Rhymes for avalanche

Browse Nearby Words

aval
avalanche
avalanche conduction
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Avalanche.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avalanche. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

avalanche

noun
av·​a·​lanche
ˈav-ə-ˌlanch
1
: a large mass of snow and ice or of earth and rock sliding down a mountainside
2
: a sudden large amount
an avalanche of words

More from Merriam-Webster on avalanche

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for avalanche

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about avalanche

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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