1
as in flood
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms
a great overflow of water from the heavy rains swept mud and silt down onto the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
an overflow of help actually made the job more complicated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to flood
to flow over the brim or top of
while the wine steward stood there gawking at the nearby celebrity, my expensive champagne was overflowing its glass and pouring onto our table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to engulf
to cover with a flood
the swollen river overflowed the surrounding land and washed several houses away
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of overflow
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
Parking lots have regularly filled to capacity this year, pushing the airport to operate overflow lots.
—Megan Stringer, Axios, 18 Nov. 2024
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 Jan. 2025
May your heart overflow with happiness today and in the year ahead.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for overflow 
Noun
By that time, however, gas had built up, and a spare overflow tank, where employees should have directed the excess, was not as empty as protocol demanded.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
Parking lots have regularly filled to capacity this year, pushing the airport to operate overflow lots.
—Megan Stringer, Axios, 18 Nov. 2024
Verb
The room was overflowing with emotion, gratitude and appreciation Friday night as the Golden Globe Awards’ inaugural Golden Gala paid tribute to two singular and beloved stars, Ted Danson and Viola Davis.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 Jan. 2025
May your heart overflow with happiness today and in the year ahead.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
-
Before the 1924 Summer Games, when host Paris was beset by floods and economic struggles, L.A. civic leaders volunteered their city as a last-minute replacement.—
David Wharton,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
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Once his roof is repaired and his home is safe to move back into, his older sister who also lost her home to floods in Swannanoa will move in with him.—
Nora O’Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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For example, one couple who would have faced a retirement funding shortfall when they had been affected by the WEP and GPO may now have a lifetime surplus of more than $300,000 once those offsets are eliminated, according to MassMutual's computer models.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2025
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Luckily, Lovehoney has made all the possibilities more reachable by discounting a surplus of devices ahead of February 14 by up to 70 percent off.—
Maya Gandara,
StyleCaster,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In December, the coastal area around Salt Creek in Dana Point was closed after 3,375 gallons of sewage spilled into the sea.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
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This winter has been different because a strain of the bird flu virus has spilled over into dairy herds too, leading to hundreds of infected herds.—
Alexander Tin,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
But that blissful image has been ruptured in recent days as parts of Los Angeles were engulfed in flames, reducing homes and businesses across the sprawling metropolis to smoldering heaps of ash and rubble, most calamitously in the Pacific Palisades and the community of Altadena.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC News,
15 Jan. 2025
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As Southern California continues to reel from the devastating fires that have engulfed entire Los Angeles County neighborhoods, the question on everyone’s mind is what sparked them and who is to blame.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Last April, 174 people were stranded for up to 23 hours when a pod on a cable car line in southern Turkey hit a pole and burst open for unknown reasons, killing one and injuring seven.—
Shoshi Parks,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Jan. 2025
-
Editor’s picks The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Though he’s known for being slightly reticent in interviews, today, Bad Bunny is fully charged and bursting with stories.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Chiefs capitalized on a torrent of Texans mistakes — eight penalties among them — and missed opportunities to slowly seize control.—
Zak Keefer,
The Athletic,
18 Jan. 2025
-
The Eaton and Palisades fires destroyed at least 11 public and private schools and some 30 child-care facilities — and thousands of families have been displaced by the torrent of damage — more than 12,000 structures destroyed, including many homes.—
Kate Sequeira,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Magnificent Seven companies reporting in the week ahead could unlock the next leg of the rally, as investors bet that earnings growth fueled by artificial intelligence could power a market some worry has gone to excess.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
24 Jan. 2025
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The timing makes sense: After a holiday season filled with cocktail parties and not-so-healthy meals, the idea of cleansing the body of excess seems attractive.—
Vicky Vera,
Glamour,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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One cousin, Zack Colgan, 29, recalled endless hours spent playing with Nerf weapons, many minor injuries and getting in trouble for staying up late playing video games and overfilling the Tenedorios’ pool.—
Christina Morales,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2025
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The pair left with a space heater and a bag overfilled with scrap metal.—
Raja Abdulrahim,
New York Times,
27 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near overflow
Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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