perfect storm

noun

: a critical or disastrous situation created by a powerful concurrence of factors

Examples of perfect storm in a Sentence

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.
But disruptive policy choices played a hand in creating perfect storm for a parasitic outbreak to occur, and have likely made outbreak containment that much harder. — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026 The story of how Chicago beat the odds to become a hub of quarterback development isn’t necessarily a perfect storm, more like a steady rain that’s been pushing forward for 15 or 20 years. — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 This perfect storm of cyberthreats likely means that companies are engaging more than ever with these two best of breed cybersecurity providers. — Jeff Marks,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026 The stakes for new avatar don’t feel quite as high—the specific circumstances around the former was a perfect storm that'll be tough to duplicate—but the music isn’t any less potent for it. — Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for perfect storm

Word History

First Known Use

1998, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of perfect storm was in 1998

Rhymes for perfect storm

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Browse Nearby Words

perfect square
perfect storm
perfect tense
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Cite this Entry

“Perfect storm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfect%20storm. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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