tornado
noun
tor·na·do
tȯr-ˈnÄ-(ËŒ)dÅ 
plural tornadoes or tornados
1
a
: a violent destructive whirling wind accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud that progresses in a narrow path over the land
b
: a squall accompanying a thunderstorm in Africa
2
: a violent windstorm : whirlwind
3
archaic
: a tropical thunderstorm
Examples of tornado in a Sentence
in the path of a tornado
Recent Examples on the Web
The tornado threat is currently low.
—
Andrew Kozak, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Isolated tornadoes are also possible for a sliver of Ohio, the northern panhandle of West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
The severe weather, with rain, hail, tornadoes, and hurricane-force wind gusts predicted for Monday, March 16, never quite blew into town.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
Another system is expected to bring severe weather risks across parts of the Ohio Valley this weekend, including damaging winds, hail and the possibility of isolated tornadoes.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tornado
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Andrew Kozak, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Isolated tornadoes are also possible for a sliver of Ohio, the northern panhandle of West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
The severe weather, with rain, hail, tornadoes, and hurricane-force wind gusts predicted for Monday, March 16, never quite blew into town.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
Another system is expected to bring severe weather risks across parts of the Ohio Valley this weekend, including damaging winds, hail and the possibility of isolated tornadoes.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tornado
Cite this Entry
“Tornado.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tornado. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tornado
noun
tor·na·do
tȯr-ˈnÄd-Å
plural tornadoes or tornados
: a violent destructive whirling wind accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud that moves in a narrow path over the land
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