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flood 1 of 2

noun

ˈfləd How to pronounce flood (audio)
Definition of floodnext
as in torrent
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms a flood nearly wiped out the town a flood of messages on my computer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flood

2 of 2

verb

as in to engulf
to cover with a flood the lowlands were completely flooded angry calls flooded the radio station

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 flood
Noun
French President Emmanuel Macron has described this flood of high-quality but affordable Chinese goods as a matter of life and death for European manufacturing. — Jonas Nahm, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026 Last year, economic activity from the holiday was dampened by large-scale student protests, Sethia said, and businesses that had hoped to recoup those losses this year bought goods on loan that were ultimately lost to the floods. — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
Foulkes, a former executive at CVS Health, has outraised the incumbent and flooded the airwaves with campaign ads. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026 Wildfire burn scars increase the chances for flash-flooding events. — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flood
  1. torrent
  2. engulf
  3. overwhelm
  4. drown
  5. submerge
  6. deluge
Noun
  • From wars – a Civil War, even – to presidential assassinations, fires, hurricanes, floods and what seems to be an unrelenting torrent of gun violence, our nation has seen its share of horror.
    — Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Jackie died last month after a weeks-long battle with a mysterious illness, setting off a torrent of heart-wrenching tributes and messages from her devoted fans who hailed from around the globe.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of torrent
Verb
  • Deputies noticed an apartment on the top floor engulfed in flames and evacuated the building’s residents, said Detective Joseph Peguero Rivera, a sheriff’s office spokesman.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2026
  • All that changed on August 26, when the port was engulfed by an enormous wave of water – as the first point of impact from a landslide and explosive flooding that then ripped into Nepal.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of engulf
Verb
  • The architecture is striking without overwhelming its surroundings; the food celebrates the region with confidence, and the spa itself is reason enough to visit.
    — Vicki Power, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026
  • People indicated they were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of news, and in some cases felt isolated.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • The film is also Diop’s first narrative film, taking the court case of Fabienne Kabou, a Senegalese French woman who was ultimately convicted of murder for drowning her child, as inspiration.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Nobody wanted to look at it or think about those five children being drowned in Andrea Yates’s bathtub.
    — Jaha Nailah Avery, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • The study shows that submerged photovoltaics can provide a viable power source for underwater sensors, cameras, and communication systems in the future.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Make sure there’s enough water to fully submerge the brush as well as most of the handle.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of submerge
Verb
  • In mid-August, Hurricane Lala deluged eastern Hawaii’s Big Island with feet of rain, triggering severe flooding.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • An aerial view shows houses lying deluged in sludge after flash floods at Devighat, Bidur Municipality in Nepal's Nuwakot district on August 27, 2026.
    — Sam Meredith,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of deluge

Phrases Containing flood

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flogs
flood
flooded
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Cite this Entry

“Flood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flood. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flood

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flood

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