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• n  (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent
• n  a sudden forceful flow
• n  the occurrence of a water flow resulting from sudden rain or melting snow

• The spate of recent diet-pill-related deaths in Japan touched off a round of criticism directed at the country's health officials, who drew fire for being slow to respond when .
• Last year the Vatican curbed him through the appointment of an archbishop coadjutor; shortly afterwards, a spate of anti-Vatican leaflets was rumored to have originated in the .
• In short, the unusual spate of fatal attacks may have been a ghastly coincidence--but that doesn't mean they were entirely random.

• batch
• deal
• flock
• good deal
• great deal
• hatful
• heap
• lot
• mass
• mess
• mickle
• mint
• mountain
• muckle
• passel
• peck
• pile
• plenty
• pot
• quite a little
• raft
• sight
• slew
• stack
• tidy sum
• wad
• rush
• surge
• upsurge
• freshet

News & Articles

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• String of recalls hits Ford's quality image
  A spate of flubs by Ford Motor is raising doubt about whether quality still really is - as Ford's tagline used to boast - 'Job One.'
  June 13, 2013 - The Tennessean
• Ford addresses string of safety issues
  A spate of flubs by Ford Motor is raising doubt about whether quality still really is as Ford's tagline used to boast 'Job One.'
  June 13, 2013 - Lansing State Journal
• Most charitable states in America
  A recent spate of disasters, including the Oklahoma tornadoes, the Boston bombing and the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, has people across the country reaching for their wallets to help out.
  June 12, 2013 - CNN Money

Quotes

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• David Paterson in FOXNews
  For the last couple of weeks I have been the subject of what, even by Albany standards, has been a spate of outrageous rumors about me,Paterson told the AP.
• Irene Khan in Human Rights Watch (Communiqué de presse)
  Behind the political crisis and health emergency, there is a worsening human rights crisis in Zimbabwe, with the most recent development being this unprecedented spate of abduction of human rights defenders,said Irene Khan, secretary-general...
• Kelly Rowland in New Zealand Herald
  Kelly said: "This current spate of reunions has given us ideas. Despite what people say we are all still really close. A couple of weeks ago Beyonce did a show in Los Angeles and asked me and Michelle to join her on stage to sing Survivor. The...