spate

noun

ˈspāt 

1

a

: a large number or amount

a spate of books

b

: a sudden or strong outburst : rush

a spate of anger

2

: freshet, flood

Synonyms of spate

• flood
• torrent

Examples of spate in a Sentence

A spate of books on the subject have come out recently.

There was a spate of corporate mergers in the 1980s.

Recent Examples on the Web

The incident follows a spate of drone attacks on at least seven cargo vessels off the Black Sea coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria in October. — Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026

The recent spate of probable Russian attacks in the Black Sea is now disrupting shipping carrying Ukraine’s latest harvest to the rest of Europe, with some cargo being rerouted overland or through the River Danube, Politico reported. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

The Social Reckoning had a tough time making noise at the box office in its opening weekend, spurring debate about the prospects for a spate of 2026 titles examining the tech sphere. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Japan has declared a cybersecurity emergency, following a spate of attacks on its companies in recent weeks. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing spate

• in spate

Rhymes for spate

• ate
• bait
• bate
• cate
• crate
• date
• eight
• fait
• fate
• fete
• frate
• freight

Kids Definition

spate

noun

ˈspāt 

: a sudden flood or rush