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

The floodgates opened offensively, with Clark finishing the night with 29 points and 10 assists. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

In Rocky Ripple, officials urged residents to leave before floodgates closed and 53rd Street, the community's last road out, was shut down. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026

Most residents of Rocky Ripple, built on a spit of land between the White River and the Indiana Central Canal, had evacuated the night before as the Indianapolis Department of Public Works began closing floodgates. — Tilly Robinson, IndyStar, 15 Aug. 2026

When the health and safety restrictions were lifted, the spending floodgates opened in a different way. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 25 July 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