PRECIPITATING Synonyms: 26 Similar and Opposite Words

precipitating 1 of 2

adjective

as in rainy

marked by or abounding with rain thick, precipitating clouds that just stayed in our region for days

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

precipitating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of precipitate

as in raining

to fall as water in a continuous stream of drops from the clouds the air mass was dry, as much of the moisture had precipitated out on the other side of the mountains

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 precipitating

Verb

The second episode… [is about] the fall of the group, precipitating [John Pearson’s] leaving, the downfall. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 June 2026 Fear of a repeat invasion also led Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev to send nuclear missiles to Cuba, precipitating the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962 that nearly led to nuclear war. — Kevin A. Young, The Conversation, 8 June 2026 And then a track number is posted, precipitating a mad dash that runs somewhere between the running of the bulls in Pamplona and entering Wal-Mart on Black Friday in 1999. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 May 2026 Iranian strikes have targeted the energy infrastructure of its neighbors and instituted a blockade on the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world's oil and gas was shipped before the war, precipitating the worst energy shock in decades. — Katrina Bishop, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026 Its Jupiter-crossing orbit leads to gravitational interactions, precipitating a future ejection in 2098. — Big Think, 2 Mar. 2026 Some survivors have criticized the process and called for full release of the files, which are precipitating global fallout. — John Parkinson, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026 When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Clegg was central to Meta’s decision to take a hard line against Moscow, precipitating an all-out ban on Facebook and Instagram in Russia. — Bobby Ghosh, Time, 18 Jan. 2026 The quick pronouncement by administration officials before any meaningful investigation could be completed has raised concerns about the federal government’s determination to conduct a thorough review of the chain of events precipitating the shooting. — Alanna Durkin Richer, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for precipitating

Adjective

After a cooler and rainy weekend, things are going to heat up for central Iowa, with heat indices in Des Moines reaching as high as 102 degrees over the next week, according to the National Weather Service.

— Isabelle Foland, Des Moines Register, 30 Aug. 2026
Local authorities would rope together timber logs for a makeshift bridge, but in the rainy season, the logs would grow slippery and floods would wash them away.

— Fatma Tanis, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of rainy

Verb

Iranian drones, ballistic missiles and other projectiles have been raining down on US bases and allies across the Middle East.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
The inescapable sounds of rejection and resentment should’ve long been raining down from the Dawg Pound and ringing in the ears of the bosses who divided this fanbase by dolling up a flawed man as their franchise quarterback.

— Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of raining

Adjective

This was a simpler and more secure replacement, though the elastic did tend to perish rather quickly in wet or tropical conditions.

— David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
To do the most thorough job, remove dust, cobwebs, and debris from the glass and window frame using a hand duster or soft brush before applying any wet solution.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of wet

Verb

Retail investors were meanwhile pouring money into oil funds on the assumption that prices would rebound, adding to strains in the futures market.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Experts say the realities of construction –– blasting through rock with dynamite, pouring concrete into natural landforms and storing water in reservoirs –– could have unintended effects.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of pouring

Verb

Or what about storming the field, the tradition that follows a momentous win, when order dissolves and players brace themselves for a horde of fans pouring out of the stands.

— Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
That’s been the story of this third season, one that started with Rhaenyra storming the castle and taking the Iron Throne and then promptly saw her get picked apart by dozens of unforeseen calamities.

— Brian Grubb, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of storming

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precipitating

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“Precipitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precipitating. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of precipitating

adjective

verb

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