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
ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Today it is critically endangered because dams are blocking its route to spawning grounds and overfishing at migration bottlenecks is killing the large adults that the population depends on.
—Zeb Hogan, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Katie Grant, Parents, 4 Mar. 2026
As these boar and beavers escape, digging up his neighbor’s fields and damming his streams, the two farmers begin to butt heads.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dam
Noun
Crews were hurriedly pumping water from a dam in Cheboygan, Michigan, this week, even removing floodgates to relieve pressure.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Today it is critically endangered because dams are blocking its route to spawning grounds and overfishing at migration bottlenecks is killing the large adults that the population depends on.
—Zeb Hogan, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Plants can regenerate, since the beavers have dammed up the water to keep some for their little ecosystem.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 4 Mar. 2026
As these boar and beavers escape, digging up his neighbor’s fields and damming his streams, the two farmers begin to butt heads.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dam
Noun
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Declines in groundwater levels have in recent years caused household wells to sputter and run dry, streams and wetlands to dry up, and land to sink, damaging canals and levees.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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The cost of upgrading the local levee is about three times the town's total annual budget.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some 20 Republicans joined most Democrats in blocking its advance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Human Rights Watch said authorities have taken sweeping steps to curb religious practice, including tearing down churches and crosses, blocking gatherings at unregistered churches and seizing religious materials not approved by the state.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Republican presidents have displayed a decades-long tendency to fill the top spot with political cronies or pro-business activists masquerading as worker advocates, or worse.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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But social skills are notably a weak spot for the generation of students whose childhood was filled with social media, high school interrupted by COVID, and college years automated with AI.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Bellaire Dam is an earth embankment dam and is classified as a high-hazard dam by the MDEQ, according to a 2018 inspection report.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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Two women were riding near the summit of Initial Point when the vehicle rolled down a rocky embankment, Ada County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Lauren Montague told the Idaho Statesman in an email.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Branch, widely projected to go in the second round of the NFL draft later this week, faces misdemeanor charges of obstructing public sidewalks, prowling and obstructing a law enforcement officer.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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Branch, who declared for the NFL Draft in January, was charged with obstruction of an officer and obstructing a public sidewalk, both misdemeanors, early Sunday morning.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Guro Reiten is sitting inside her apartment in Norway, in between spending time with her 5-month-old son and packing her life away.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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That can be especially helpful in our relationships with our moms, a dynamic that, for many reasons, is often packed with emotional triggers.—
Ashley Oerman,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But bad actors have learned to weaponize that same amendment as a shield, flooding the information ecosystem with content designed to discreetly destabilize our communities.—
Julian Baron,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Apr. 2026
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Last year, many of her chile plants were swallowed whole when a reservoir nearby (which the farmers use to harvest rainwater) flooded its banks during the monsoons.—
Kamala Thiagarajan,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In many ways, plugging into the literary community and falling in love with reading again have healed that sense of loss.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
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Another distinction is its saddle and seatpost, which form a unit that plugs into a corner of the square motor/battery assembly.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dam. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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