updraft
Americannoun
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An upward current of warm, moist air. With enough moisture, the current may visibly condense into a cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud.
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Compare downdraft
Etymology
Origin of updraft
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at up-, draft
Vocabulary lists containing updraft
Physical Geography - Middle School
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Physical Geography - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Traders will recall that Oracle’s earnings report last September created a massive updraft of more than 100 points in the stock — which it quickly gave back and then some.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
“The stronger the updraft, the larger the hail can be … anything bigger than two inches is really big,” said Fuchs.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2024
The Met Office said one of these thunderstorms crossed Greater Manchester on Wednesday evening and had a "strong rotating updraft", which suggested "a tornado at the surface was likely".
From BBC • Dec. 29, 2023
That months-long updraft in yields saw a sharp reversal last week after the U.S.
From Reuters • Nov. 8, 2023
Even worse, the heat generated could create an updraft, carrying any radiation that was released high into the atmosphere, where it could travel for miles before coming back down.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
