open the floodgates

idiom

: to remove something serving to restrain an outburst

Many people fear that the court's latest ruling will open the floodgates for/to a host of new lawsuits.

Examples of open the floodgates in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lake Buchanan reached full capacity this week, prompting Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) officials to open the floodgates at Buchanan Dam for the first time since 2019 to release water from the reservoir. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025

The court's decision in the campaign finance dispute could open the floodgates for coordinated spending into the 2026 midterms elections. —Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 30 June 2025

The Supreme Court decision is expected to open the floodgates for many individual claims to be brought before lower courts over third-country deportation orders. —Chad De Guzman, Time, 24 June 2025

Saunders got going in the second half to truly open the floodgates, scoring BYU’s first six points of the frame on a back-to-back three and and-one layup. —Luca Evans, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for open the floodgates

• macroinvertebrates
• abates
• annates
• awaits
• birthrates
• bookplates
• borates
• bovates
• breastplates
• casemates
• chromates
• classmates