engulf

verb

in-ˈgəlf How to pronounce engulf (audio)
Definition of engulfnext
as in to flood
to cover with a flood high waves from the hurricane engulfed large areas of the coastal community

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 engulf On Saturday alone, at least 2,400 people were arrested after rioters in cities across France clashed with police, set cars on fire, stormed public buildings, looted stores and engulfed a historic city hall in flames. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 This is against the backdrop of the French government imposing a curfew and many businesses and some famous tourist attractions shutting down amid the wave of violence that engulfed sections of Paris and other cites around the country. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 For many, watching flames engulf the town hall in Limoges, a central town known for its porcelain, was an assault on the state itself. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026 In Limoges, a city in central France, flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall, causing its roof to collapse. — Sylvie Corbet, Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for engulf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engulf
  1. flood
  2. overwhelm
  3. drown
  4. submerge
Verb
  • For much of the Gaza war, Israeli protesters flooded the streets demanding that Netanyahu strike a deal with Hamas to release Israeli hostages and end the fighting.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The area has experienced unusually heavy rain since Wednesday that caused rivers to surge, flooding homes and forcing water rescues.
    — Anna Wilder, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of flood
Verb
  • The president left office above water on the economy, with 48% approving and 41% disapproving — high numbers for a president whose last year was overwhelmed by the Covid pandemic.
    — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Economic recovery, the official argued, must accompany political reform to prevent a future democratic government from being overwhelmed by debt, failing infrastructure, shortages, inflation and insecurity.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • Equally weighting stocks ensures companies in smaller industries aren’t drowned out by massive ones, like Big Tech.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Other components in blood can produce stronger signals that drown them out, according to a scientific review published in Applied Spectroscopy.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • Failing infrastructure In Miami Shores, the waters submerged the city’s golf course, shutting it down for days to dry out.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The team fashioned the bottoms out of scuba material that would allow Skarsgård to submerge in the water.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of submerge

Browse Nearby Words

engrossment
engulf
engulfed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Engulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engulf. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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