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 Phrases Containing flood Learn More About flood

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Showers and thunderstorms are expected, and excessive runoff may result in debris flows on burn scars and flooding in slot canyons, normally dry washes, slickrock areas and other low-lying, flood-prone locations. — Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Aug. 2022 And in the United States, research has found that Black, Latino and low-income families are more likely to live in flood-prone areas. — Jessie Yeung, CNN, 11 Aug. 2022 The Great Lakes Water Authority already is urging metro Detroiters in flood-prone areas to remove items from the basement and prep in advance for any potential issues. — Chandra Fleming, Detroit Free Press, 8 Aug. 2022 According to the National Weather Service, excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. — Brook Endale, The Enquirer, 5 Aug. 2022 Underneath, the Los Angeles River was still a flood-prone body of water. — New York Times, 28 July 2022 Farmers were allowed to plant in flood-prone land and reimbursed for their crops, which is much cheaper than constructing new levees. — Mikhail Chester, Scientific American, 22 July 2022 Heavy rain is also a concern, especially in the flood-prone Birmingham metro area. — Leigh Morgan, al, 21 July 2022 Excessive rainfall could cause flash flooding, and rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone areas could get flooded, NWS said. — Ngan Ho, Baltimore Sun, 12 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Catastrophic hurricanes in the recent past have also impacted demand, as damaged boats flood the market and boat owners cash insurance checks. — Bill Springer, Forbes, 10 July 2022 There is no end in sight as Mexican drug cartels flood the country with shipments of the cheap and highly addictive synthetic opioid. — Sari Horwitz, Washington Post, 7 July 2022 The superstar posts a record 23 simultaneous songs on the all-metric Hot Latin Songs chart as all the tracks from his new Un Verano Sin Ti flood the list. — Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 16 May 2022 As more and more products flood the market, Polis emphasizes the need for better oversight and clear marketing. — Amy Zimmerman, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2022 Many of IndyCar’s permanent road courses use wire-to-wire schedules full of on-track activity, plus the lure of camping, to help flood their gates, though some clearly do better than others. — Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 22 July 2022 Mayor JR Trevino said there are streets and intersections that can flood quickly. — David Dekunder, San Antonio Express-News, 10 July 2022 In the Boise video, Bundy can be seen trying to force open a door so the crowd of protesters can flood into the state's House gallery. — Mike Levine, ABC News, 5 Jan. 2022 Downpours can quickly flood your basement and create a real mess. — Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2021 See More

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.