Meaning & use

updraft

noun·Academic

A rising current of warm air moving upward through the atmosphere.

See it in a sentence

The glider pilot circled inside a strong updraft to gain altitude without using the engine.

Thunderstorms form when a powerful updraft carries moist air high into the sky.

A note on using this word

Updrafts are essential to activities like soaring and are also a key ingredient in the formation of severe storms.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

downdraft

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