cleaved through the sky

[alpacinou]

Hello everyone,

Have I used "cleave through" correctly in this sentence? Is the sentence okay?


The jet cleaved through the cloudy sky, its engines screaming amid the the rumble of thunders.

 

[Tarheel]

I didn't know planes could cleave. I thought they flew.

 

[GoesStation]

If I were to use the verb cleave (which I wouldn't; it's too obscure), I'd use clove in the past simple.

Thunder is singular. Unless the jet was flying through a storm, it wouldn't have been flying through thunder of any description. You can describe its noise as thunderous, if you like.

 

[Skrej]

I think something like 'lightning' would be a better choice to cleave the sky. 'Cleave' implies a quick sudden motion, which seems a bit at odds with the steady (even if rapid) movement of a plane through the sky.

A jet might cleave through clouds I suppose, but not the endless sky.

 

[GoesStation]

I don't think I've ever seen "cleave" used intransitively. A jet plane could cleave the sky, but I don't think it can cleave through anything.

 

[alpacinou]

Everyone please look at the last example on this page:

: to penetrate or pass through something by or as if by cutting The ship's bow cleaved through the water.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleave

I thought since it says the ship cleaved through water, maybe I could say the jet cleaved through the sky.

Do you think this is okay?

The jet cleaved through the clouds, its engines screaming amid the the rumble of thunders.

By thunder, I mean the sound produced from the collision of clouds.

If cleave does not work here, what other verb do you suggest that means the same?

 

[GoesStation]

It would be the rumble of thunder. Don't use "thunders". Thunder is the noise produced by lightning. Clouds are water vapor (American spelling) and are completely silent.

"Screaming" is a good way to describe the sound of jet engines.

 

[alpacinou]

It would be the rumble of thunder. Don't use "thunders". Thunder is the noise produced by lightning. Clouds are water vapor (American spelling) and are completely silent.

"Screaming" is a good way to describe the sound of jet engines.

So, is this okay?

The jet cleaved through the clouds, its engines screaming amid the the rumble of thunder.

 

[GoesStation]

So, is this okay?

The jet cleaved through the clouds, its engines screaming amid the the rumble of thunder.

It's okay. As usual, I find it overdramatic, but it could work in the right context.

 

[Tarheel]

If you want to emphasize the power of the jet engines you might say:

The plane roared through the clouds, its engines booming like thunder.