1
: a wetland often partially or intermittently covered with water
especially
: one dominated by woody vegetation
2
: a tract of swamp
3
: a difficult or troublesome situation or subject
swamp
adjective
swamped; swamping; swamps
1
2
: to open by removing underbrush and debris
: to become submerged
Examples of swamp in a Sentence
Noun
Alligators live in the lowland swamps.
be careful in the swamp, because alligators sometimes lurk there
Verb
The sea level rose and swamped the coastal villages.
The boat sank after it was swamped by waves.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2026
The ‘banter’ era settled in, with every collapse, every disappointment, every failure amplified in the fever swamps of social media.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Sunday night’s collapse felt like the final straw — a dominant team swamped with injuries but finding a way to summon one of its best periods of the season, only to come up short anyway.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for swamp
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Noun
That a massive prison in the middle of a swamp turned out to be a boondoggle is a surprise only to Ron DeSantis and James Uthmeier.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2026
The ‘banter’ era settled in, with every collapse, every disappointment, every failure amplified in the fever swamps of social media.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Verb
Barcelona’s dining scene is rightly one of the most celebrated in Europe, but as the city struggles with overtourism, popular spots have become swamped.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Sunday night’s collapse felt like the final straw — a dominant team swamped with injuries but finding a way to summon one of its best periods of the season, only to come up short anyway.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for swamp
Cite this Entry
“Swamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swamp. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swamp
1 of 2 noun
ˈswämp 
ˈswȯmp
: wet spongy land often partly covered with water
swamp
2 of 2 verb1
: to fill or become filled with or as if with water
2
: overwhelm sense 2
was swamped with work
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