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
Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
Finally, Trump should drain the swamp of troublemakers in our own political system by issuing an executive order that requires a national security review of lobbying activity on behalf of each country.
—Christopher Shays, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025
ArsTechnica, 21 May 2025
But the tax revenue loss would still swamp the spending reductions.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for swamp
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Noun
Her civilian followers escaped into the swamps and lost their way.
—Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
Finally, Trump should drain the swamp of troublemakers in our own political system by issuing an executive order that requires a national security review of lobbying activity on behalf of each country.
—Christopher Shays, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025
Verb
Some of the most vulnerable places are far from any melting ice sheets, including Belize City, home to about 65,000 people, where just 3 feet of sea level rise would swamp 500 square miles of land.
—ArsTechnica, 21 May 2025
But the tax revenue loss would still swamp the spending reductions.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for swamp
Cite this Entry
“Swamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swamp. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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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