over·flow
ˌō-vər-ˈflō 
overflowed; overflowing; overflows
1
: to cover with or as if with water : inundate
2
: to flow over the brim of
3
: to cause to overflow
1
: to flow over bounds
2
: to fill a space to capacity and spread beyond its limits
the crowd overflowed into the street
over·flow
ˈō-vər-ˌflō
1
: a flowing over : inundation
2
: something that flows over : surplus
3
: an outlet or receptacle for surplus liquid
Examples of overflow in a Sentence
Verb
The river overflowed its banks.
The creek overflows every spring.
The water in the tub overflowed.
Books and papers overflowed his desk.
The paragraph overflowed the page.
Noun
a great overflow of water from the heavy rains swept mud and silt down onto the highway
an overflow of help actually made the job more complicated
Recent Examples on the Web
Clara McMahon, People.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Kitty Kat Rescue jumped in after hearing about these kittens being left in the bag, especially since the rescue organization was overflowing with 65 cats, just as many shelters are experiencing.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Sanders’s biggest event was in Warren, Mich., where an overflow crowd of 9,000 gathered to see him and United Autoworkers President Shawn Fain.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overflow
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Verb
Luckily, Amazon’s fashion department is overflowing with affordable flare jeans to snag ahead of spring.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Kitty Kat Rescue jumped in after hearing about these kittens being left in the bag, especially since the rescue organization was overflowing with 65 cats, just as many shelters are experiencing.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that ICE is expanding its capacity with assistance from the U.S. Defense Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Prisons to manage the overflow.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Sanders’s biggest event was in Warren, Mich., where an overflow crowd of 9,000 gathered to see him and United Autoworkers President Shawn Fain.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overflow. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overflow
1 of 2 verb
over·flow
ˌō-vər-ˈflō
1
: to cover with or as if with water : inundate
2
: to flow over the brim or top of
the river overflowed its banks
3
: to flow over bounds
the creek overflows every spring
4
: to fill a space up and spread beyond its limits
the paragraph overflowed the page
overflow
2 of 2 noun
over·flow
ˈō-vər-ˌflō
Medical Definition
overflow
noun
over·flow
ˈō-vər-ˌflō
: an excessive flow or amount
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