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

Water levels at Cameron Run in Alexandria, Virginia, a flood-prone area along the Capital Beltway, rose more than 7 feet over 30 minutes after 9 a.m., according to the weather service. — Baltimore Sun, baltimoresun.com, "Rains strand Washington drivers, flood White House basement," 8 July 2019 Water levels at Cameron Run in Alexandria, Virginia, a flood-prone area along the Capital Beltway, rose more than 7 feet over 30 minutes after 9 a.m., according to the weather service. — chicagotribune.com, "Rains strand Washington drivers, flood White House basement," 8 July 2019 Nashville is trying to move people like the Laidlaws away from flood-prone areas. — John Schwartz, New York Times, "As Floods Keep Coming, Cities Pay Residents to Move," 6 July 2019 The discussion of the issue also spurred a conversation about flood insurance: who should have it and why. — Jane Stueckemann, Houston Chronicle, "Residents express concern over side effects of Alight building construction," 26 June 2019 The House financial services panel last week voted unanimously to approve a separate plan to overhaul the federal flood-insurance program, another deal negotiated by the duo. — Andrew Ackerman, WSJ, "House Deal Would Keep ExIm Bank Functioning Through 2026," 18 June 2019 Those protests, most crucially concerning the delicate ecosystem on land in a flood-prone area, were backed up by a decision by the Catalan Water Agency, denying the organizers the permits needed to carry out the festival. — Judy Cantor-navas, Billboard, "Doctor Music Festival Canceled After Move From Mountain Pastures to Barcelona Racetrack," 14 June 2019 Murphy urged residents to include flood insurance and the potential for evacuation in their hurricane plans. — nola.com, "State, city officials urge residents to 'get a game plan’ this hurricane season," 13 June 2019 Minor flooding will be possible also along portions of the causeway across northern Mobile Bay and other flood-prone areas around the bay. — Leigh Morgan, al.com, "Tornado watch issued for part of south Alabama; large waterspout spotted," 6 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The storm surge—as high as 14 feet in some areas—flooded nearly 90,000 buildings, left close to two million people without power, and caused $19 billion in damage. — Sophie Kasakove, The New Republic, "New York’s Invisible Climate Migrants," 11 July 2019 Off-road enthusiasts have flooded state officials with phone calls and letters and circulated a petition to protect vehicle access to the dunes. — Tony Barboza, latimes.com, "Off-road vehicles face ban at famed beach: ‘This is like the Wild West. Anything goes’," 9 July 2019 Lifeblood that stopping flowing this spring as the raging Mississippi flooded farmlands and river towns from Minnesota to Louisiana, bringing barge traffic to a standstill. — CBS News, "A trip down the mighty Mississippi," 7 July 2019 That included collections to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey as well as reaching out to help those hit by flooding in North and South Carolina and Florida. — Karen Zurawski, Houston Chronicle, "Katy delivers help to Oklahoma," 1 July 2019 Both drugs make users intensely alert by flooding them with a sense of euphoria. — Fox News, "Nazi soldiers used performance-enhancing 'super-drug' in World War II, shocking documentary reveals," 25 June 2019 The Chinese decision to stop taking most foreign recycling has had ripple effects in Alabama, mostly by flooding the international market and lowering commodity prices for recyclers here. — Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al.com, "Does all your recycling just go to a landfill? Nope," 20 June 2019 In Grand Island, which is in a part of central Nebraska that was hit hard by flooding along the Platte River in March, FEMA is seeking a temporary site inspector job to document flood damage to homes and businesses. — Grant Schulte, The Denver Post, "Strong job market hampers FEMA hiring in flood-hit states," 9 June 2019 Most acequias are open channels and many farmers irrigate by flooding their fields, which means that lots of water leaches away or evaporates. — Robert Neuwirth, National Geographic, "Centuries-old irrigation system shows how to manage scarce water," 17 May 2019

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.