thun·der
ˈthən-dər 
thundered; thundering
ˈthən-d(ə-)riŋ
1
a
: to produce thunder
—usually used impersonally
it thundered
b
: to give forth a sound that resembles thunder
horses thundered down the road
Examples of thunder in a Sentence
Noun
Her dog is afraid of thunder.
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed.
Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder.
We could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.
the thunder of horses' hooves
the distant thunder of cannon fire
She accepted the award to a thunder of applause.
Verb
The sky thundered and the rain poured down.
It was raining and thundering all night.
Guns thundered in the distance.
Horses thundered down the road.
Trucks thundered past on the highway.
“How dare you come into my house!†he thundered.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Wait for 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder before going back out.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2026
Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026
The Wildcats’ stars leapt to their feet when Sidi Gueye, a 6-11 reserve center by way of Senegal, thundered home a second-chance dunk with 33 seconds left.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thunder
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
Across the Houston area, residents described hearing a low, rumbling sound that many compared to thunder, even though the skies were clear, according to CBS affiliate KHOU.
—Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Wait for 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder before going back out.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
Especially when senior star Mark Mitchell hit a 3-pointer with 7 minutes, 50 seconds left to give MU a 54-52 lead and compel a Miami timeout as the crowd thundered.
—Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026
The Wildcats’ stars leapt to their feet when Sidi Gueye, a 6-11 reserve center by way of Senegal, thundered home a second-chance dunk with 33 seconds left.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thunder
Cite this Entry
“Thunder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thunder. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thunder
1 of 2 noun
thun·der
ˈthən-dər
1
: the loud sound that follows a flash of lightning
2
: a noise like thunder
thunder
2 of 2 verb
thundered; thundering
-d(ə-)riŋ
1
a
: to produce thunder
b
: to produce a sound like thunder
horses thundered down the road
2
: to utter loudly
the people thundered their approval
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
