Synonyms
Examples of dam in a Sentence
David Meyer, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2023
The Eel River is on track to become California’s longest free-flowing waterway, as Pacific Gas & Electric formalizes a plan to tear down two dams to clear the way for salmon passage.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
At the same time, the warmer water flowing through the dam and downstream made the Grand Canyon more hospitable to bass.
—WIRED, 4 Nov. 2023
The evaluations include assessing the dams for seismic vulnerabilities, structural deficiencies and flood risk — how many people’s lives would be in jeopardy in the event of a partial or complete dam failure.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2023
But then in June the Kakhovka dam was destroyed, the entire region was flooded and military operations were largely halted as the front line was reshaped overnight.
—Marc Santora, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023
When Neil passed, there was an outpouring, like a dam burst.
—Rob Tannenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2023
Somehow, trees uprooted by the storm piled up like a dam behind their home, parting the floodwaters around them.
—Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
Upriver nearby is a dam blocking a potential water escape in that direction.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 27 Oct. 2023
Tony Schick, ProPublica, 31 Oct. 2023
Helper • After a century of getting dammed, diverted, moved out of its channel and, in some places, tapped completely dry, a big section of the Price River now flows free.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023
There, the Little Colorado was dammed to create a 1,500-acre irrigation reservoir.
—Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 23 Mar. 2023
The area was made a state park after members of the pioneering McArthur family grew concerned that Pacific Gas & Electric would try to dam the Pit River for hydroelectric power and destroy the falls.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023
Retreating glaciers around the world have created unstable lakes that are dammed by ice or sediment.
—Anna Canny, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Aug. 2023
While Turkey and Iran dammed rivers, Iraq’s population almost quadrupled — from about 11.6 million in 1975 to more than 44 million today.
—Alissa J. Rubin Bryan Denton, New York Times, 29 July 2023
Others warn of the impending doom facing farms, power generators and major cities in the West that have sprung up since the Colorado River was first dammed, diverted and officially divvied out among states a century ago.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 22 July 2023
To accommodate the growing population of Amsterdam and the surrounding area, it was decided to dam and drain the shallow Zuiderzee bay.
—Lea Lane, Forbes, 24 Apr. 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun (1) and Verb
Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch; akin to Old English fordemman to stop up
Noun (2)
Middle English dam, dame lady, dam — more at dame
Noun (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (2)
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing dam
Dictionary Entries Near dam
Cite this Entry
“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dam. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
dam
1 of 3 noundam
2 of 3 noundam
3 of 3 verbNoun
Middle English dam, dame "lady, female parent"
Noun
Middle English dam "barrier to hold back water"
Medical Definition
dam
1 of 3 noundam
2 of 3 noundam
3 of 3 abbreviation
Biographical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on dam
Nglish: Translation of dam for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dam for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dam
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