flood 1 of 2

noun

ˈfləd How to pronounce flood (audio)
Definition of floodnext
as in torrent
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms a flood nearly wiped out the town a flood of messages on my computer

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flood

2 of 2

verb

as in to engulf
to cover with a flood the lowlands were completely flooded angry calls flooded the radio station

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flood
Noun
District 1 has borne the impacts of climate change in the form of recent wildfires and floods, as well as the health effects of climate-warming emissions. — Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025 Farm families have faced droughts and floods and every imaginable pest while constantly improving productivity and protecting our planet. — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
The agency said gushes of water flooded downstream villages, catching the children who were fishing or doing laundry on a nearby river by surprise and also destroying agricultural equipment and killing livestock. — Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 14 Mar. 2025 Others have flooded social media with questions and concerns. — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flood
  1. torrent
  2. engulf
  3. overwhelm
  4. drown
  5. submerge
  6. deluge
Noun
  • And yet the current torrent, fuelled by years of planning in right-wing circles and by Trump’s demagogic energies, is hardly unstoppable.
    — David Remnick, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The daily torrent of push alerts, breaking news, and viral outrages has been relentless — and exhausting.
    — Sean Collins, Vox, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of torrent
Verb
  • In 2015, a crowded nightclub in Bucharest, Romania was engulfed in flames after pyrotechnics were set off during a concert, killing 64 people.
    — Catherine Nicholls, CNN, 16 Mar. 2025
  • One thing led to another, and in a matter of just a minute, the side of the house was engulfed by flames.
    — Ashley Hume, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of engulf
Verb
  • The threat on European alcohol overwhelmed the positive inflation news.
    — Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Flashback: Hospitals in NWA, like much of the country, were overwhelmed by the number of COVID-19 patients and struggled with staffing.
    — Alex Golden, Axios, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • Businesses across sectors are drowning in information, yet many still haven’t found the right tools to manage, interpret, and act on it effectively.
    — Cathy Hackl, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • If Nike can continue to show positive signs from new product launches and partnerships, the rest of its headwinds might just be drowned out as noise.
    — Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of drown
Verb
  • Read Next World 2,900-year-old settlement found submerged in Italy lake.
    — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Captured with the help of sophisticated radar mapping technology, the overhead view reveals the specter of structures submerged within the ice and a life only a few like Weiss could intimately describe.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of submerge
Verb
  • Senate Democrats said their offices have been deluged with calls since last night from people in a panic about what a lack of funding — even a temporary pause — would mean for their programs.
    — Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Adrien Brody was momentarily overcome with emotion at the destruction underway in a Los Angeles deluged by fire.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2025
Definition of deluge

Phrases Containing flood

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flogs
flood
flooded
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Cite this Entry

“Flood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flood. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flood

Nglish: Translation of flood for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flood

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