inundate

in·un·date | \ ˈi-(ˌ)nən-ˌdāt

How to pronounce inundate (audio)

\

inundated; inundating

Definition of inundate

transitive verb

1 : to cover with a flood : overflow

2 : overwhelm was inundated with phone calls

Other Words from inundate Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about inundate

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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.

Examples of inundate in a Sentence

Rising rivers could inundate low-lying areas. water from the overflowing bathtub inundated the bathroom floor

Recent Examples on the Web Northern Alaska, including Fairbanks, has been inundated with precipitation this month due to an atmospheric river event. — Anchorage Daily News, "In Alaska, a summer of extreme weather continues," 23 Aug. 2019 The animal shelter has been inundated with animal seizures this summer, reaching over-capacity levels several times. — Rebecca Hennes, Houston Chronicle, "Houston-area people, moments that went viral this summer," 22 Aug. 2019 Hapgood, who is out on bail after posting a $74,000 bond, has been inundated with insults and threats. — Errol Barnett, CBS News, "American man charged in death of Anguilla hotel worker facing death threats," 20 Aug. 2019 West of Trinidad, Aruba and Curaçao have also been inundated with large flows of people. — Safiya Charles, The New Republic, "Trump’s Venezuela Policy Is Causing Turmoil in the Caribbean," 9 Aug. 2019 Investigators have been inundated with leads about Watkins, but none panned out until recent days. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Willoe Watkins found murdered, buried in Tuscaloosa County well; 2 charged," 29 July 2019 Since the end of June, her business has been inundated with calls about everything from room bookings to bands that want to play on her property during the event. — NBC News, "'Here we go again': Communities near Area 51 brace for influx of UFO tourists," 27 July 2019 Canesa has been inundated with protestations, insults and even threats after his Facebook post. — Michael Cabanatuan, SFChronicle.com, "Some Clayton residents back sandwich shop owner after Trump-inspired ‘send her back’ special," 23 July 2019 Councilman Randy Keating said Tempe has been inundated with emails from residents complaining about excessive barking in their neighborhoods — and that the process to file a complaint is too difficult. — Paulina Pineda, azcentral, "Barking dogs keeping you up at night? Tempe could make it easier to cite dog owners," 13 July 2019

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.

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Dictionary Entries near inundate

in/under someone's control

Statistics for inundate

Last Updated

27 Oct 2019

Cite this Entry

“Inundate.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inundating. Accessed 21 November 2019.

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More Definitions for inundate

inundate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of inundate

: to cause (someone or something) to receive or take in a large amount of things at the same time

formal : to cover (something) with a flood of water

See the full definition for inundate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

inundate

in·un·date | \ ˈin-ən-ˌdāt

\

inundated; inundating

Kids Definition of inundate

: to cover with or as if with a flood I'm inundated by mail.

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