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

After the horrific May 27 flood in downtown Ellicott City, the list of businesses and organizations reopening is slowly growing. — Lisa Peklo, Howard County Times, "Trinity School remembers Sister Catherine Phelps," 6 July 2018 Unsheltered Seattleites are more exposed to Seattle’s infamous rain tantrums, which flood tents and soak blankets and belongings, subjecting the unsheltered to a brutal frost when the temperature drops. — Dae Shik Kim Hawkins, The Atlantic, "An App for Ejecting the Homeless," 28 June 2018 Many of the divers and residents of the nearby northern Thai town of Mae Sai saw the last-minute flood as a sign that divine protection had ceased only after all were safe. — Hannah Beech, Richard C. Paddock And Muktita Suhartono, New York Times, "‘Still Can’t Believe It Worked’: The Story of the Thailand Cave Rescue," 12 July 2018 The flood of children overwhelmed the federal shelter system to the point that a tent city was hurriedly erected in Tornillo, outside El Paso, and preparations were made to house thousands of additional immigrants at military bases in Texas. — Elaine Ayala, San Antonio Express-News, "Unmarked vans, security fences: family reunification proceeds behind curtain of secrecy," 12 July 2018 According to the letter, a uniformed Border Patrol agent noticed a group on the Rio Grande River flood plain south of the Tornillo, Texas, Port of Entry, taking photos of the holding facility. — Colleen Long, chicagotribune.com, "Border Protection says New York Mayor De Blasio crossed border illegally," 11 July 2018 That is what has caused the flood of VC into that space. — Andy Patrizio, Ars Technica, "The AI revolution has spawned a new chips arms race," 9 July 2018 Blood says the flooding is typical for Houston and will not at all resemble the devastating floods caused last year by Hurricane Harvey. — CBS News, "Heavy rains cause Fourth of July flooding in Houston," 4 July 2018 President Trump on Monday approved Maryland’s disaster declaration request due to flood damage in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County. — Kate Magill, Howard County Times, "State of emergency extended for parts of Ellicott City," 3 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Wary of the neighboring properties, the street-facing side of the home features few windows along its walls, while the more insular side allows light to flood the house and opens up for forest views. — Alex Bazeley, Curbed, "Cool concrete summer home sits among a sea of trees," 3 July 2018 But after Viets-VanLear's May 25 talk, concerned parents began to flood Cunat with phone calls and e-mails throughout Memorial Day weekend. — Maya Dukmasova, Chicago Reader, "News / Education / Crime Distinguished CPS principal resigns after threats, controversy over anti-police speaker," 19 June 2018 Koplow is donating half of the proceeds from sales for classes at the studio to flood recovery. — Kate Magill, Columbia Flier, "For Ellicott City's businesses, signs of a slow comeback after flooding," 14 June 2018 This marked the 17th annual hosting of the event as current and former members of the Cowboys and Mavericks flooded the diamond in the name of charity. — Peter Dawson, star-telegram, "Dirk's baseball game creates more magic as two Santa Fe shooting survivors throw out first pitch," 8 June 2018 The group collected more than 142,000 signatures on a petition, lobbied Congress and enticed thousands of people to flood the DEA's website with their opposition. — Lisa Gutierrez, kansascity, "What you need to know about kratom as the feds crack down on the herbal supplement," 31 May 2018 And in the Marshall Islands, where the United States detonated more than a hundred tests in a span of 15 years, rising tides due to climate change are threatening to flood nuclear waste sites and former testing grounds. — Lovely Umayam, The New Republic, "The Nuclear Industry’s Winners and Losers," 31 May 2018 The purely decorative aspect of the House of Dreams fell away and powerful subtexts flooded in. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Turning Love and Grief into Outsider Art," 14 May 2018 Rescue workers evacuated most of the 200 tourists after two rounds of flooding hit the Havasupai reservation, deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon. — Felicia Fonseca And Alina Hartounian, chicagotribune.com, "Flash flood sends tourists to high ground near Grand Canyon," 13 July 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.