overflow

verb

over·flow | \ ˌō-vər-ˈflō

overflowed; overflowing; overflows

Definition of overflow

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to cover with or as if with water : inundate

2 : to flow over the brim of

3 : to cause to overflow

intransitive verb

1 : to flow over bounds

2 : to fill a space to capacity and spread beyond its limits the crowd overflowed into the street

overflow

noun

over·flow | \ ˈō-vər-ˌflō

Definition of overflow (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a flowing over : inundation

2 : something that flows over : surplus

3 : an outlet or receptacle for surplus liquid

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about overflow

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Synonyms & Antonyms for overflow

Synonyms: Verb

overfill

Synonyms: Noun

alluvion, bath, cataclysm, cataract, deluge, flood, flood tide, inundation, Niagara, spate, torrent

Antonyms: Noun

drought (also drouth)

Examples of overflow in a Sentence

Verb

The river overflowed its banks. The creek overflows every spring. The water in the tub overflowed. Books and papers overflowed his desk. The paragraph overflowed the page.

Noun

a great overflow of water from the heavy rains swept mud and silt down onto the highway an overflow of help actually made the job more complicated

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

O’Rourke is polling within a few points of Cruz on average, and the pages and websites of every major political publication in the country have been overflowing with stories about the young (and handsome) Democratic candidate. — Dylan Scott, Vox, "Somebody posing as Beto O’Rourke’s campaign sent texts proposing voter fraud," 6 Sep. 2018 Vatrano will also be part of a deep forward group that is overflowing with skaters. — Matthew Defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Panthers sign RFA forward Frank Vatrano to one-year contract," 29 June 2018 The personalities For a series that's overflowing with star power, the personalities in these Finals may be even greater. — Aj Neuharth-keusch, USA TODAY, "Warriors-Cavaliers, Part IV: Five things to know before NBA Finals," 30 May 2018 This year has been overflowing with love, light and blessings. — Mark Shanahan, BostonGlobe.com, "Ricki Lander’s baby has an unusual name," 16 May 2018 This year has been overflowing with love, light and blessings. — Kathy Ehrich Dowd, PEOPLE.com, "Robert Kraft's Girlfriend Shares First Photo of Baby Daughter He Supports But Didn't Father," 15 May 2018 The streets themselves were full of rot and manure, overflowing with the slop from tanneries and factories; what sewers did exist were emptied into the Thames, which became thick with human waste. — Laurie Penny, Longreads, "The Great Stink," 15 Feb. 2018 Films interested in qualifying for next March’s Academy Awards must receive at least a token theatrical release before the end of 2017—meaning that this December is, per tradition, going to be absolutely overflowing with A-list projects. — Nick Schager, Esquire, "14 Movies Worth the Haul to the Multiplex in December 2017," 21 Nov. 2017 The illustrious Yu Garden in the middle of the city is overflowing with history: It was commissioned in 1559, built over the course of 19 years, destroyed in 1842 during the first Opium War, and later rebuilt and reopened to the public in 1961. — Maura Kutner Walters, Town & Country, "The 10 Things Every First-Time Visitor Must Do in Shanghai," 3 Oct. 2014

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Video and audio will be streamed into an overflow room. — Amy Forliti, The Seattle Times, "Judge restricts access to evidence in police shooting case," 29 Mar. 2019 There are plans to dredge another port on England’s South coast to help handle overflow traffic. — Max Colchester, WSJ, "On Both Sides of the English Channel, Authorities Brace for ‘No Deal’ Brexit Customs Snarls," 31 Dec. 2018 The overflows are the result of cracks and breaks in the aged sewer system, and of its century-old design. — Scott Dance, baltimoresun.com, "Weekend rain washes 10 million gallons of sewage-contaminated water into Baltimore's Jones Falls," 30 May 2018 But the program — designed to serve the overflow at VA facilities both of aging Vietnam-era veterans and younger service members returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — is fragmented and unwieldy. — Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, "Congress sends massive veterans bill to Trump, opening door to more private health care," 24 May 2018 An argument preceded gunfire after attendees of the 6 p.m. event at the Perry Learning Center's performing arts venue in Clayton County, Georgia, exited to an overflow campus parking lot, school police chief Thomas Trawick Jr. told reporters. — NBC News, "2 Shot, 1 dead outside Georgia high school," 19 May 2018 The drama of those origins—the smallish overflow that became so mighty a force—is enormous, and the film’s writers make the most of it. — Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, "‘America’s Mississippi’ Review: Overflowing With Life," 29 Nov. 2018 The cups should always fit smoothly across the breasts without gaping, overflow, or digging into the tissue. — Glamour, "6 Tips for Bra Shopping When You Have Big Boobs," 3 Apr. 2019 The attacker then triggers the overflow by sending a standard advertising packet with one subtle change—a specific bit in the header is turned on instead of off. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "Bluetooth bugs bite millions of Wi-Fi APs from Cisco, Meraki, and Aruba," 1 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overflow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.