floodgate
noun
flood·gate
ˈfləd-ˌgāt 
1
: a gate for shutting out, admitting, or releasing a body of water : sluice
2
: something serving to restrain an outburst
opened the floodgates of criticism
Examples of floodgate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Crews were hurriedly pumping water from a dam in Cheboygan, Michigan, this week, even removing floodgates to relieve pressure.
—
ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
In the days since, the floodgates have opened.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
The point is to keep eight low-lying pockets of the Lower East Side from turning into basins once the floodgates close.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Once product characters strolled into the park in 1974, the floodgates opened.
—John Haddad, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for floodgate
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.
ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
In the days since, the floodgates have opened.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
The point is to keep eight low-lying pockets of the Lower East Side from turning into basins once the floodgates close.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Once product characters strolled into the park in 1974, the floodgates opened.
—John Haddad, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for floodgate
Cite this Entry
“Floodgate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floodgate. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
floodgate
noun
flood·gate
ˈfləd-ˌgāt
: a gate (as in a canal) for controlling a body of water : sluice
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
