flood

noun

\ ˈfləd

Definition of flood

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a rising and overflowing of a body of water especially onto normally dry land The flood inundated the whole area. also : a condition of overflowing rivers in flood

b capitalized : a flood described in the Bible as covering the earth in the time of Noah

2 : the flowing in of the tide

3 : an overwhelming quantity or volume received a flood of phone calls also : a state of abundant flow or volume or of greatest activity —often used in the phrase in full flood a debate in full flood a political movement in full flood

4 : floodlight

flood

verb

flooded; flooding; floods

Definition of flood (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to cover with a flood : inundate

2a : to fill abundantly or excessively flood the market

b : to supply an excess of fuel to (an engine, a carburetor, etc.) so that engine operation is hampered

intransitive verb

1 : to pour forth, go, or come in a flood

2 : to become filled with a flood

Other Words from flood Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about flood

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Examples of flood in a Sentence

Noun

A flood inundated the whole area. the devastating flood of 1936 The water has risen to flood level. We've received a flood of mail. a flood of phone calls Seeing her again brought back a flood of memories.

Verb

Heavy rains flooded the valley. The rivers are close to flooding. The valley flooded after the heavy rains. The plain floods every spring. The room was flooded with light. The company plans to flood the market with this product. The office has been flooded with phone calls. The phone calls have been flooding in. Refugees flooded into the camp. Light flooded into the room.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

If funds were diverted from civil-engineering programs intended to protect against floods or wildfires, for instance, states and local governments that stand to benefit from those projects potentially could challenge the reappropriation as unlawful. — Natalie Andrews, WSJ, "Trump to Sign Spending Deal, Declare National Emergency," 15 Feb. 2019 Smith, 45, reportedly contacted a dispatcher for help after his car was swept away by the floods. — Madeline Farber, Fox News, "Officers killed in the line of duty in 2018," 19 Sep. 2018 Apple cautions that some areas affected by the floods might have temporarily suspended courier pickup and delivery, leading to longer wait times for those who need repairs. — Dani Deahl, The Verge, "Apple announces free repair for devices damaged by Japanese floods," 27 July 2018 They were joined by scores of spelunkers who flocked to Mae Sai within days of the news that the soccer team was trapped by floods. — Phred Dvorak, WSJ, "All 12 Boys and Their Soccer Coach Rescued From Thai Cave," 10 July 2018 That Lost Everything in Harvey Watt’s post-Harvey fundraiser to help Houston-area families impacted by the record-breaking floods raised a mind-blowing $37 million—a number that far exceeded his original $200,000 goal. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "J.J. Watt Named Finalist for ESPN’s Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award," 20 June 2018 Without a five-star rating, spot in numerous All-American games or early UK scholarship offer, Baker was not subjected to the normal flood of attention that accompanies Kentucky’s top targets during their final two years of high school. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, "Will UK's Jemarl Baker show he's more than a shooter after his injury?," 18 June 2018 But the flood of teens soon resumed, and then the Trump administration began separating families, shunting adults into jails and their children into shelters. — Michael Miller, Emma Brown And Aaron C. Davis, star-telegram, "Inside a former Walmart on the Texas-Mexico border that holds nearly 1,500 immigrant boys," 16 June 2018 During the flood of 1955, Elmer was instrumental in the rescue of several families as well as in assisting emergency personnel. — courant.com, "Elmer W. Anderson," 14 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

For the past few months, the comments of the royal family’s accounts, especially that of Kensington Palace, have been flooded with vitriol. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "Kensington Palace Is Taking Action Against Social Media Trolls," 4 Mar. 2019 Her recent picture from the ER was soon flooded with loving comments from her followers. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Dove Cameron Tells Fans She Is in the Hospital After Sustaining a Neck Injury," 31 Dec. 2018 We should be flooded with warnings for pregnant women about pot use, said Susan Astley, a University of Washington epidemiology professor. — Erik Lacitis, The Seattle Times, "‘Something wasn’t clicking’: WSU study shows offspring of pregnant rats exposed to THC have impaired development," 20 Nov. 2018 The reservoirs filled up for the first time ever during Harvey, forcing the US Army Corps of engineers to release water into bayous that were already flooded, worsening conditions downstream in central Houston. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Harvey: This is probably the worst US flood storm ever; I’ll never be the same," 25 Aug. 2018 As proud parents do, the duo has been busy flooding our social media feeds with canine cuteness over the past few weeks. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy Just Added Two New Members to Their Family," 9 Feb. 2019 Campbell's house also flooded during Hurricane Matthew, and he hadn't expected to face the prospect of rebuilding two years later. — Alex Derosier And Alan Suderman, Fox News, "Reckoning with loss of homes, livelihoods after Florence," 21 Sep. 2018 In November, McDugle will face Democrat Cyndi Ralston, a teacher who declared her candidacy after McDugle criticized educators who flooded the state capitol during the walkout. — Katie Reilly, Time, "'Our Voices Were Heard.' Dozens of Teachers Advance in Oklahoma Primaries After Walkouts," 27 June 2018 Tham Luang is an extensive network of chambers linked by passageways that flood during heavy rains. — New York Times, "As Search for Thai Boys Lost in Cave Hits Day 5, a Nation Holds Its Breath," 27 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flood.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.