Definition of engulf
transitive verb
1 : to flow over and enclose : overwhelm the mounting seas threatened to engulf the island
2 : to take in (food) by or as if by flowing over and enclosing
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Examples of engulf in a Sentence
The valley was engulfed in a thick fog.
high waves from the hurricane engulfed large areas of the coastal community
Recent Examples of engulf from the Web
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ANGER over the inferno which engulfed Grenfell Tower on June 14th, killing at least 80 people, continues to smoulder.
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Gary Kmetz, a nine-year veteran of the Pocatello Fire Department, said that by the time crews arrived at Bitterroot Drive, the residence owned by Lynn Black at 888 Bitterroot was entirely engulfed in flames.
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Arkansas received the only other first-place vote followed by Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Hugh Freeze’s postseason-banned and controversy-engulfed Mississippi team.
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The arson spree continued a week later when a fire engulfed the administration building at Oak Crest Middle School on Oct. 29, causing the office’s roof and ceiling to partially collapse, authorities said.
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As war engulfed the country, nearly 2 million South Sudanese have become refugees.
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In October 1976, a total solar eclipse engulfed southern Australia and the city of Melbourne in darkness.
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Half of the building was engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived.
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For Volkswagen, those invoices have recently been supersized, befitting the scope of the diesel cheating scandal that has engulfed the company and prompted the recall of approximately 590,000 vehicles in the United States.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'engulf.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of engulf
1555
ENGULF Defined for English Language Learners
engulf
playDefinition of engulf for English Language Learners
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: to flow over and cover (someone or something)
ENGULF Defined for Kids
engulf
playDefinition of engulf for Students
engulfed
;engulfing
1 : to flow over and cover or surround The town was engulfed by the flood.
2 : to be overwhelmed by He was engulfed by fear.
Learn More about engulf
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for engulf Spanish Central: Translation of engulf Nglish: Translation of engulf for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of engulf for Arabic speakers
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