flood

\ 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 flooda 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 But the ship floods the ice with light to enable the researchers to work safely and efficiently, creating a powerful glow that blots out the sky. — Shannon Hall, Science | AAAS, "How to erase a ship—Arctic researchers work to eliminate their vessel’s fingerprints," 13 Nov. 2019 In response, pumps and electrical equipment were elevated in case of another flood, said hatchery director Jeff Hetrick. — Author: Rachel D'oro, Anchorage Daily News, "Seward seeks upgrades for antiquated flood-control system," 11 Nov. 2019 Oregon plans to use its $260,484 grant to assess the risks posed to 16 dams from potential floods, earthquakes and landslides as a way to prioritize future safety improvements. — David A. Lieb, The Denver Post, "Colorado, 25 other states get $10M for dams from new federal grant program," 10 Nov. 2019 The most unpredictable -- and potentially critical -- variable of a winter date is the weather: Rain, floods, fog and even possibly snow could keep some voters at home, handing greater influence to party faithful and other die-hards. — Washington Post, "Britain’s Election Gamble—What You Need to Know," 7 Nov. 2019 Indiana is susceptible to dangerous floods, tornadoes, lightning strikes and even earthquakes. — Amanda Zhou, Indianapolis Star, "Strong winds, t-storms and lightning in forecast tonight, the National Weather Service says," 26 Oct. 2019 The top reported climate hazards were floods, heat waves and droughts. — Scientific American, "Cities Are Behind in Gauging Their Climate Risk," 24 Oct. 2019 In 2014, intense rains caused the basement of Escambia County Jail [in Florida] to flood, resulting in a gas leak and explosion that killed two prisoners and injured dozens of others. — Will Meyer, Longreads, "A Green New Jail," 24 Oct. 2019 An exotic killer fungus lurking in Oregon forests may have arrived at our coasts decades ago by hitching rides on ships, a tsunami and a flood, according to new research. — oregonlive, "Killer fungus rode into Oregon on ships, a tsunami and a flood, researchers say," 9 Oct. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The spillway protects communities near the Mississippi’s mouth from flooding by releasing water from the river and reducing pressure on the flood-control system. — Brett Anderson, New York Times, "Gulf Oysters Are Dying, Putting a Southern Tradition at Risk," 12 Nov. 2019 Since 2018, the Kingwood area has seen the most instances of flooding with more than 700 reports filed from residents, data shows. — Rebecca Hennes, Houston Chronicle, "City data shows the Houston-area neighborhoods, streets that flooded the most in 2018-19," 8 Nov. 2019 The prospect of flooding the country with produce from battery hens or farms that allow bad things to be done to cute animals would not be popular. — Luke Mcgee, CNN, "The UK will never get the US trade deal it wants," 6 Nov. 2019 Florida, home to 35 percent of all NFIP policies, has more property at risk from flooding than any other. — Alex Harris, orlandosentinel.com, "Florida doesn’t require home sellers to reveal flooding history," 28 Oct. 2019 Our goal is to develop, encourage, and maintain sustainable all-year activity, instead of flooding the valuable sites during peak season and leaving them quiet for the rest of the year. — Corina Quinn, Condé Nast Traveler, "Innovators: Hurtigruten's Anne Marit Bjørnflaten On Building the World's Most Sustainable Cruise Line," 16 Oct. 2019 In 2017, the county sued major drug manufacturers and distributors and accused them of flooding the county with opioids. Belmont County’s lawsuit was merged with more than 2,000 others from cities, counties and states across the country. — John Caniglia, cleveland, "’Numbers off the charts’: SE Ohio coroner accused of prescribing 1.5 million opioid pills in private practice," 13 Oct. 2019 And Asia’s coastal cities are growing, even as the risk of flooding increases. — The Economist, "Climate change is forcing Asian cities to rethink their flood defences," 19 Sep. 2019 Previous research has suggested that climate change will make the river’s flow 50% more variable, swinging from drought one year to flooding the next and making the dam more difficult to operate. — Zoë Schlanger, Quartz, "250 million people rely on the Nile for water that may not exist by 2080," 17 Sep. 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.