as in levee
a bank of earth constructed to control water
the river backed up behind the dam until it formed a new lake
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in to block
to prevent passage through by filling with something
ice floes were damming the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dam
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Three separate dams would be needed across the strait, which is 51 miles (82km) wide at its narrowest, due to the two islands that lie in the middle, with the longest section spanning roughly 24 miles (38 km), said LiveScience.
—Will Barker, TheWeek, 12 May 2026
Dan McGrath, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
Plants can regenerate, since the beavers have dammed up the water to keep some for their little ecosystem.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dam
Noun
Jackson also hopes to make a movie about the Dambusters Raid, which was an attack on German dams by the Royal Air Force carried out on the night of May 16, 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Three separate dams would be needed across the strait, which is 51 miles (82km) wide at its narrowest, due to the two islands that lie in the middle, with the longest section spanning roughly 24 miles (38 km), said LiveScience.
—Will Barker, TheWeek, 12 May 2026
Verb
Tenuously held back by moraines – the jumble of rock and sediment deposited by glaciers at their edges – or dammed by glacier ice, these lakes are anything but stable.
—Dan McGrath, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
Plants can regenerate, since the beavers have dammed up the water to keep some for their little ecosystem.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dam
Noun
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While the land up for sale is currently undeveloped, it's bordered by a neighborhood to its north and south, a river levee to the east, and a public road to the west.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
15 May 2026
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In April, officials noticed new damage to the levee.—
John Ryan,
NPR,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The affidavit states that Dunmars parked in front of Hayes’ vehicle, partially blocking her path, before a physical fight allegedly broke out involving Dunmars’ daughter and two of Hayes’ daughters.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
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The big guy in the doorway stretched out his arms, his hands gripping both sides of the knotty pine planks on either side of the door frame, his body filling the space, blocking our way out.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
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If the federal gas tax is suspended from June 1 through October 1, for example, Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates that a household filling up a 15-gallon tank once a week would save about $35 over those four months.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Gauthier moved to the middle for one shift as top-line winger Troy Terry filled his spot on right wing.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The pickup overturned multiple times, veered off the roadway, went down an embankment and crashed into a tree, CHP officials said.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 May 2026
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In the footage, a rescuer is seen using a rope to reach the man by scaling down the side of the embankment, which dips hundreds of feet below the High Steel Bridge in northwestern Washington's Mason County.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors said Lopez Insua’s view was obstructed by the cargo, a deckhouse and crane on the barge.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
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The envoy has the authority to change laws and replace officials who are seen as obstructing efforts at postwar reconciliation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The bird retina is complex and densely packed with more than a hundred cell types that work to render the world in great resolution.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
13 May 2026
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The Rimowa collection also features a cross-body bag in orange made in Italy from calf leather, a shopping bag, a trifold toiletry pouch and packing cubes.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Billions of dollars in private investment and federal dollars have flooded into the area in recent years, but many local businesses still express concerns about a lagging regional economy.—
Matt Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
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Celebrations are sure to continue late into the night in Catalonia, and players and coaching staff flooded the pitch at the final whistle.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Mahan proposed incentivizing electric vehicle owners to charge midday, when solar energy is abundant, and plug into the grid at night, a move Hilton dismissed as impractical.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
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For example, the companies Space Tango and Voyager Technologies (formerly Nanoracks) have already begun providing plug-and-play research support services in space, and Voyager Technologies is working on a commercial station concept, called Starlab.—
Ramin Skibba,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dam. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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