floodgate

noun

flood·​gate ˈfləd-ˌgāt 

1

: a gate for shutting out, admitting, or releasing a body of water : sluice

2

: something serving to restrain an outburst

opened the floodgates of criticism

Examples of floodgate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That changed in the second period when the floodgates opened and Taylor Heise, Kendall Coyne and Hayley Scamurra all put the puck in the back of the net. —Isabel Yip, NBC news, 16 Feb. 2026

The recent Midtown South rezoning opens additional floodgates for this trend. —Roberta Brandes Gratz, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026

Big Blue actually trailed 10-9 at the half before the floodgates opened, earning head coach Bill Parcells the first ever Super Bowl Gatorade bath. —Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026

Before his Super Bowl engagement, something finally broke down the floodgates, returning him back Dunder Mifflin HQ. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English flodgate

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for floodgate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

floodgate

noun

flood·​gate ˈfləd-ˌgāt 

: a gate (as in a canal) for controlling a body of water : sluice

Legal Definition

floodgate

noun

flood·​gate

: something serving to restrain an outburst (as of litigation)

—usually used in pl.

a decision that will open the floodgates for other claims