Definition of inundate
inundated
;inundating
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Examples of inundate in a Sentence
Rising rivers could inundate low-lying areas.
water from the overflowing bathtub inundated the bathroom floor
Recent Examples of inundate from the Web
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Members of Congress inundate administrations of both parties with requests for information under the purview of legislative oversight.
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The plan also calls for the creation of more areas that can accumulate surface water to limit roads and buildings inundated by rainfall and tidal flooding.
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That resulted in levee breaches on both sides of the Industrial Canal, inundating the 9th Ward, St. Bernard, New Orleans East and the area between Franklin Avenue and the Industrial Canal.
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In January 2016, a coastal storm inundated the Stafford Township, New Jersey home of Jim and Maryann O’Neill.
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Officials expect at least 15 districts, including Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong, to be inundated by the storm surge.
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Parkville survived the flood of 1993 that inundated most of downtown.
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Heavy rains have lashed several parts of the country since Thursday, inundating roads and houses.
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From Jan. 3 to 12, the state was pounded by a series of storms that buried the Sierra Nevada in snow and inundated low-lying towns along the Sacramento and Russian rivers.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inundate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
In the summer of 1993, record rains in the Midwest caused the Mississippi River to overflow its banks, break through levees, and inundate the entire countryside; such an inundation hadn't been seen for at least a hundred years. By contrast, the Nile River inundated its entire valley every year, bringing the rich black silt that made the valley one of the most fertile places on earth. (The inundations ceased with the completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1970.) Whenever a critical issue is being debated, the White House and Congressional offices are inundated with phone calls and e-mails, just as a town may be inundated with complaints when it starts charging a fee for garbage pickup.
Origin and Etymology of inundate
Latin inundatus, past participle of inundare, from in- + unda wave — more at water
First Known Use: 1590
INUNDATE Defined for English Language Learners
inundate
playDefinition of inundate for English Language Learners
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: to cause (someone or something) to receive or take in a large amount of things at the same time
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: to cover (something) with a flood of water
INUNDATE Defined for Kids
inundate
playDefinition of inundate for Students
inundated
;inundating
: to cover with or as if with a flood I'm inundated by mail.
Word Root of inundate
The Latin word unda, meaning “wave,” gives us the root und. Words from the Latin unda have something to do with waves. To undulate is to move up and down like a wave. To inundate is to cover with a flood of waves. To surround, or encircle on all sides, is to enclose as if by waves. To abound is to be plentiful, like waves in the ocean.
Learn More about inundate
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See words that rhyme with inundate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for inundate Spanish Central: Translation of inundate Nglish: Translation of inundate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of inundate for Arabic speakers
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