dam 1 of 2

noun

ˈdam How to pronounce dam (audio)
Definition of damnext
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

Relevance

dam

2 of 2

verb

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
2
as in to fill
to close up so that no empty spaces remain dam up the pipes

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 dam
Noun
At this point water would no longer be able to flow downstream from the dam at all. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 Using the streams as indicators of the groundwater flowing beneath them, Campbell is building a model to identify the best potential sites in Idaho for a subsurface dam. — Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
The water, too, was wild—the Allegheny and its tributaries had yet to be dammed, and Flag Swamp was noted as one of the last hideouts for beavers in the state. — Literary Hub, 10 June 2026 Morris grew up along the White River (a portion of which was dammed to create today’s Table Rock Lake) in the Ozarks, where fishing wasn’t just a pastime but a way of life. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dam
  1. levee
  2. block
  3. fill
  4. embankment
  5. obstruct
  6. pack
  7. flood
  8. plug
Noun
  • On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered at a volleyball court in Rocky Ripple, a town northwest of Indianapolis, with shovels and sandbags to help reinforce the town's levee, according to NPR Member Station WFYI.
    — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The cost may manifest in the next major flood, the next levee inspection, the next decision made by someone who has not yet seen what the system does at the margins.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of levee
Verb
  • The train began blocking the crossing on Tuesday morning, forcing drivers to find alternate routes.
    — Terell Bailey, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Instagram users have always been able to block others — and, along with Meta’s oldest crown jewel, Facebook — the app has gradually added features for reporting problematic accounts and inappropriate content.
    — Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of block
Verb
  • Gleaming marble basins filled with floating flowers sit comfortably with antique stone tubs that used to hold olive oil back in the day.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • If the market reaches equilibrium, those will need to be filled to prevent the next crisis.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of fill
Noun
  • Assam has invested heavily in embankments, erosion-control structures, flood walls and other engineering.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In June, three people died after losing control of their vehicle and tumbling 400 feet off an embankment in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of embankment
Verb
  • Overly rigid implementation could also obstruct productive work.
    — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The order prohibits anyone from withholding or obstructing necessary treatment or removing, discharging or transferring the child while the case is pending.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of obstruct
Verb
  • The trucks wait until all those in the area are ready before traveling in convoys to packing plants, accompanied by police patrols to prevent robberies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Espi joins a Madrid squad packed with stars, including Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and headline summer signings such as Yan Diomande, who joined in a deal worth up to €140million.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of pack
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
  • If that insane offer doesn’t plug the leak, the fire sale begins.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Van Dijk is the only Liverpool defender to cost more than Jacquet, arriving from Southampton as a plug-and-play signing.
    — Gregg Evans, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of plug

Browse Nearby Words

dallying
dam
damage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dam. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dam

Nglish: Translation of dam for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dam

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All