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

While scoring on its first three possessions, Cherry Creek featured its slick running back Jayden Fox, who got to the edge, trucked a Mustangs defender and then outraced the defense to the end zone for a 21-yard TD run to open the floodgates. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 Dec. 2025

But that score seemed to open the floodgates, so to speak. —Kansas City Star, 23 Nov. 2025

Hillwood also hopes this new development will open the floodgates for southwest Denton County. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Nov. 2025

Jeffries’s decision to endorse Mamdani will likely open the floodgates for GOP messaging, particularly as Republicans have latched on to the fact that Mamdani, a socialist, is the Democrats’ nominee. —Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for open the floodgates

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