floodplain
noun
flood·plain
ˈfləd-ˌplān 
1
: level land that may be submerged by floodwaters
2
: a plain built up by stream deposition
Examples of floodplain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At first Weinstein couldn’t process his alarm—her house sits on a hillside, well off the 100-year floodplain—or the sight of other neighbors in her yard in their soaking pajamas.
—
Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Federal flood insurance’s moral hazards The National Flood Insurance Program was established by Congress in 1968 to provide affordable flood insurance to the public while encouraging floodplain management.
—Ivis García, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
The dinosaur roamed across what is now Montana and Wyoming, and across the western United States, which most likely looked like the Louisiana floodplain all those millions of years ago.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The only possibilities were on rocky, gravel-bar floodplains.
—Ben East, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for floodplain
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Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Federal flood insurance’s moral hazards The National Flood Insurance Program was established by Congress in 1968 to provide affordable flood insurance to the public while encouraging floodplain management.
—Ivis García, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
The dinosaur roamed across what is now Montana and Wyoming, and across the western United States, which most likely looked like the Louisiana floodplain all those millions of years ago.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 20 May 2026
The only possibilities were on rocky, gravel-bar floodplains.
—Ben East, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for floodplain
Cite this Entry
“Floodplain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floodplain. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
floodplain
noun
flood·plain
-ˌplān
1
: low flat land along a stream or river that may flood
2
: a plain built up from earth left by floodwaters
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