dust storm

noun

Definition of dust storm

1 : a dust-laden whirlwind that moves across an arid region and is usually associated with hot dry air and marked by high electrical tension

2 : strong winds bearing clouds of dust

Examples of dust storm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The pesky summertime dust storms that can darken the atmosphere for months on end can also be a concern. — Fox News, "Red wine could help astronauts stay strong on Mars," 25 July 2019 There were 14 dust storms in 1932, another 38 the next year, a record 134 in 1937. — Kevin Baker, Harper's magazine, "Where Our New World Begins," 10 May 2019 Of Alexandra and Yongden hiding in a dust storm to slip past Lhasa’s army of guards. Sneaking into Potala Palace and pouring over holy manuscripts. — Ailsa Ross, Longreads, "Mountains, Transcending," 9 Aug. 2019 These types of global dust storms kick up on Mars about every 10 years, though the exact cause remains a mystery. — Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Nearly All the Dust on Mars Comes From One Rock Formation," 26 July 2018 Longer droughts, hotter heatwaves and more frequent dust storms will occur from Rabat to Tehran, according to Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. — The Economist, "Climate change is making the Arab world more miserable," 31 May 2018 Years of climate change-fueled drought and a 240 percent increase in dust storms appear to have led to a swift rise in the number of people diagnosed with the illness across the Southwest. — NBC News, "Potentially deadly valley fever is hitting California farmworkers hard, worrying researchers," 17 June 2019 The dust storms are only getting worse, too, in large part because of the loss of vegetation. — Peter Schwartzstein, National Geographic, "Iraq races to save last of Middle East's forests from burning," 22 July 2019 Picture dust storms that cause total white-outs, flash floods, scorching heat and the threat of dehydration. — Yomi S. Wrong, latimes.com, "Burning Man can be doable for people with disabilities," 8 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dust storm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.