engulf

verb

in-ˈgəlf How to pronounce engulf (audio)
Definition of engulfnext
as in to flood
to cover with a flood high waves from the hurricane engulfed large areas of the coastal community

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of engulf One person is dead after a fire engulfed a home Tuesday morning in Kansas City’s North Town Fork Creek neighborhood, a fire department spokesman said. — Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026 Officials are investigating after a West Kendall Farm Stores location, known as La Vaquita, became partially engulfed in flames Tuesday morning, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026 Initial reports indicated that three people were unaccounted for in a home that was fully engulfed in flames, officials said. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2026 The chaos that engulfed Wondermind was described in a must-read article in The Cut last year. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for engulf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engulf
  1. flood
  2. overwhelm
  3. drown
  4. submerge
Verb
  • Since the first attack July 18 in Elektrostal, just east of Moscow, and in the southwestern Tambov region, Wildberries depots burned one after another in massive fires that flooded social media.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Following the news of Panettiere’s death at age 36 on Sunday, fans have flooded TikTok to pay tribute to the actress and her many beloved roles throughout her career.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of flood
Verb
  • Ukraine has increasingly launched swarms of hundreds of drones in an attempt to overwhelm Russian air defenses.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Those wanting to dip their toe for the first time in either genre won’t be overwhelmed.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • At least 115 people were crushed to death or drowned in the river below.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the whirlpools of history spin, and ordinary people, good and bad alike, drown in them.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • Drone footage shared by the city showed houses, vehicles and roads submerged in muddy floodwater.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Satellite images also have shown that the tanker is increasingly submerged, and experts have warned of an unprecedented environmental disaster if the vessel sinks or breaks open and leaks its entire cargo.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of submerge

Browse Nearby Words

engrossment
engulf
engulfed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Engulf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engulf. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on engulf

Nglish: Translation of engulf for Spanish Speakers

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