swamp

noun

\ ˈswämp

How to pronounce swamp (audio)

, ˈswȯmp \

Definition of swamp

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

verb

swamped; swamping; swamps

Definition of swamp (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to fill with or as if with water : inundate, submerge

b : to overwhelm numerically or by an excess of something : flood swamped with work

2 : to open by removing underbrush and debris

intransitive verb

: to become submerged

Other Words from swamp Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about swamp

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for swamp

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Verb

drain

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: Noun The area that the airport also owns, but is undeveloped swamp, is 26,000 acres. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN, "Everglades Jetport: The 'world's greatest airport' that never was," 12 Apr. 2021 On the right, Trumpism is usually seen as some version of a populism associated with myriad grievances—the establishment, the swamp, immigration, globalism—basically opposition to another evil empire. — Daniel Henninger, WSJ, "Trumpism According to Trump," 3 Mar. 2021 When water levels reach the threshold needed to trigger operation under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' authorization, the spillway redirects water from the Mississippi and floods the Atchafalaya River and swamp. — Halle Parker | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Longtime protectors of the Atchafalaya's swamps form coalition, push to join state task force," 25 Dec. 2020 The result is a sort of fake-news tragedy of the commons, in which big companies and the rich are fairly represented in public discourse, while the state and civil society sink into a swamp of disinformation. — The Economist, "Not gonna lie A timely diagnosis of the problem of rampant dishonesty," 18 Mar. 2021 In order for Glenn to deal with TBK, Betty agrees to handle this on her own, which apparently means wandering into the swamp alone. — Samantha Highfill, EW.com, "Riverdale recap: Archie fights fire with a fire department," 11 Mar. 2021 In addition to these legitimate species, fans of cryptozoology should keep their eyes peeled for the elusive Honey Island Swamp Monster, a ghoulish beast that’s been purported to lurk in the depths of the swamp since the 1960s. — Jared Ranahan, Forbes, "Five Underrated Wildlife Tourism Destinations Across The US, In Honor Of World Wildlife Day," 3 Mar. 2021 Kent, a high-school bully, weightlifter and surfer, became the victim when his friend group turned on him, luring him out to edge of the swamp. — Mario Ariza, sun-sentinel.com, "The gruesome secrets of the Florida Everglades: Here are five hideous crimes that led there.," 3 Mar. 2021 The vast wetland of the swamp, which spans nearly 2,000 miles, is a stretch of marshland between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Documenting the true history of Black resistance," 10 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb So far, astronomers and advocacy groups like Barentine’s have focused their worries on how the bright trails of individual satellites overhead disrupt naked-eye observers and swamp more sensitive astronomical observations. — Joshua Sokol, Science | AAAS, "Study finds nowhere on Earth is safe from satellite light pollution," 28 Mar. 2021 Politics was destined always to swamp the hunt for Covid-19’s beginnings. — WSJ, "Wuhan Lab Theory a Dark Cloud on China," 9 Mar. 2021 And now two very different legal concerns — insurrection cases in Washington and tribal land disputes out West — are threatening to totally swamp the department. — Alanna Durkin Richer, Star Tribune, "Flood of Capitol riot, tribal cases swamps US prosecutors," 18 Mar. 2021 The plea deal represents a controversial coda to the disturbing case, one apparently influenced by a push to confront a massive backlog that threatens to swamp the court system. — oregonlive, "‘I lost. Nothing I thought was going to happen happened.’," 17 Mar. 2021 The sheer volume of new programs threatens to swamp federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, leaving some lawmakers fearful about early delays. — Washington Post, "Covid 19 live updates Daily new coronavirus cases hit new U.S. lows but experts warn about the looming spring break," 10 Mar. 2021 The sheer volume of new programs threatens to swamp federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, leaving some lawmakers fearful about early delays. — Anchorage Daily News, "With congressional stimulus bill approval imminent, Biden prepares to send checks but big challenges loom," 10 Mar. 2021 All indoor gyms, fitness centers and yoga studios must close in areas covered by the state’s current stay-at-home orders, imposed after COVID-19 cases threatened to swamp state hospitals. — Chronicle Staff, San Francisco Chronicle, "Coronavirus news from the Bay Area: Jan. 21-27, 2021," 6 Feb. 2021 All indoor gyms, fitness centers and yoga studios must close in areas covered by the state’s current stay-at-home orders, imposed after COVID-19 cases threatened to swamp state hospitals. — Chronicle Staff, San Francisco Chronicle, "Coronavirus news from the Bay Area: Jan. 21-27, 2021," 6 Feb. 2021

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about swamp

Dictionary Entries near swamp

Statistics for swamp

Last Updated

15 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Swamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swamp. Accessed 16 Apr. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for swamp

swamp

noun

English Language Learners Definition of swamp

(Entry 1 of 2)

: land that is always wet and often partly covered with water

swamp

verb

English Language Learners Definition of swamp (Entry 2 of 2)

: to cover (something) with water

: to cause (someone or something) to have to deal with a very large amount of things or people at the same time

See the full definition for swamp in the English Language Learners Dictionary

swamp

noun

\ ˈswämp

\

Kids Definition of swamp

(Entry 1 of 2)

: wet spongy land often partly covered with water

swamp

verb

swamped; swamping

Kids Definition of swamp (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to fill or cause to fill with water : sink after filling with water High waves swamped the boat. The boat swamped.

2 : overwhelm sense 1 She was swamped with work.

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

lodestone

Listen to the pronunciation of lodestone

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

The Exceptions Quiz III

Which of these words does not mean "nonsense"?

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ