winter

noun

ˈwin-tər How to pronounce winter (audio)
Definition of winternext
as in lull
a period of often involuntary inactivity or idleness during the long winter when the party was out of power, it had plenty of time to reconsider its political priorities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 winter Critics note the change would mean the sun rises an hour later on winter mornings, leaving more children traveling to school and commuters, construction workers, farmers and others heading to work before daylight. — Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026 In winter, several migratory duck species spend the season on its clear-flowing creeks and ponds, including beaver ponds. — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 3 Oct. 2026 Things could intensify over time as more waves arrive over the winter. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 Ski resorts hope to bounce back Paltry snow across the American West last winter dealt a crippling blow to resort towns whose economies depend heavily on tourism. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for winter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for winter
  1. lull
  2. break
  3. downtime
  4. layoff
  5. recess
Noun
  • The Crimson Tide quieted concerns about slow starts and recovered from a third-quarter lull.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Burns acknowledged owing $3,000 in rent after falling two weeks behind, citing a lull in business.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of lull
Noun
  • The high-collar silhouette, a stand-up neckline that extends several inches above the shoulders with no lapel break, is showing up on runways, in mass-market store windows and across editorial coverage heading into the colder months.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In a break from her party’s policies, Peltola has thrown her support behind the Alaska LNG project as way to lower energy costs for Alaskans.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of break
Noun
  • For industrial companies, that could mean reducing machine downtime, cutting excess inventory, improving first-time fix rates, or increasing production capacity.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • By shifting more functionality into the target, FLARE is designed to enable a simpler, more robust driver, reducing component stress, maintenance and downtime.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of downtime
Noun
  • The message comes following Tuesday morning’s memo from David Ellison, chairman and CEO, and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz, which acknowledged that layoffs will be part of the process of integrating the two companies.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But everyone knows that significant layoffs are coming as the two companies combine.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of layoff
Noun
  • Wednesday could be the Senate’s last day in session before a more than month-long pre-election recess.
    — Justin Papp, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
  • However, earlier Monday, Cruz expressed hope that Speaker Mike Johnson would bring the House back into session mid-recess to vote on the bill.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of recess

Browse Nearby Words

wins (over)
winter
winterly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Winter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/winter. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on winter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about winter

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All