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
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
The man who was rescued was located about 60 yards from shore and found drifting toward a dam in rough conditions with strong winds and waves, according to local outlet WCTI 12.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Then, about 20,000 years ago the Laurentide continental glacier moved into the area, pushing rocks, soil, and other debris, eventually damming Pine Creek and forming an expansive lake.
—Anthony Fredericks, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dam
Noun
China has officially started construction on a massive new ship lock system at the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydropower dam, which is set to nearly double cargo capacity along the Yangtze River.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
The man who was rescued was located about 60 yards from shore and found drifting toward a dam in rough conditions with strong winds and waves, according to local outlet WCTI 12.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Verb
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asked experts to study what happened at the Edenville and Sanford dams.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Then, about 20,000 years ago the Laurentide continental glacier moved into the area, pushing rocks, soil, and other debris, eventually damming Pine Creek and forming an expansive lake.
—Anthony Fredericks, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dam
Noun
-
Simply speaking, much of our levee on private data is becoming obsolete.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
The tool is exclusively used by public safety agencies during natural disasters — including flash floods, wildfires, and levee or dam breaches — and other widespread public safety hazards to alert the public to evacuate.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Shasta County Superior Court judges denied two prior lawsuits that aimed to block Measure B from appearing on the ballot, including one from Shasta County’s attorney Joseph Larmour, without ruling on the substance of their cases.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
-
Fable 5, in particular, marked the first time that Anthropic released such an advanced offering to the public, thanks to new safeguards that block responses in specific high-risk areas.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
There was fruit, sandwiches, kimbap, beer, and cigarettes—enough to fill the day in quiet peace.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Studio had some formidable shoes to fill, replacing the eponymous and long-beloved French fine-dining institution that had defined special-occasion fine dining in Laguna Beach for more than twenty years.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Kayakers contacted law enforcement after spotting Barmettler’s vehicle down a steep embankment on South Fork Road, close to the South Fork of the Payette River, according to the Sheriff’s Office.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
3 June 2026
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Been there as communities have tried to tame the mighty waters with levees and embankments, and battled 100-pound invasive fish.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Eight people were arrested on charges of assaulting police officers, criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration, according to the NYPD.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
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Zabel is also accused of obstructing the roadway.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Regardless of who made the call, KSE took a man who left so many of us happy and smiling and told him to start packing.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
-
This quiet movie still packs a mighty punch—a timeless lesson in the power of empathy and nobility to melt seemingly insurmountable differences.—
Time,
Time,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Fans and former costars alike flooded social media with outpourings of appreciation for his talent and grief at his death.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 June 2026
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The set design is centered around the flooded, burned down, and demolished house that appears in the album visuals and is somehow still standing despite it all.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
7 June 2026
Verb
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And because there’s no plug-and-play model, this process repeats with every new partner.—
Jess Turner,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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The Patriots had held possession in the overtime period since the initial draw control, but the tenacious Notre Dame Academy defense was plugging gaps exceptionally well.—
Jack Murray,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dam. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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