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
Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Apr. 2026
Part of a wave of dissident departures, Carvajal’s defection was akin to a dam breaking, then-US Senator Marco Rubio said at the time.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 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
That’s in part because of threats not only to water infrastructure, including dams and reservoirs, but also to desalination facilities, which millions in the broader region depend on for their drinking water.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Apr. 2026
Part of a wave of dissident departures, Carvajal’s defection was akin to a dam breaking, then-US Senator Marco Rubio said at the time.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 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
-
Dollison served on the Internal Improvements Committee and introduced a bill to create a levee district in Clay and Greene counties.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Constructing protective structures such as levees and dikes can help, as can preserving natural landscapes, such as wetlands and estuaries that can act as a natural sponge to absorb floodwaters, in and near the cities, Shao and her colleagues wrote.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gas prices can vary widely, even from block to block.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
Heavy encrustations of golden mussels have blocked pipes in municipal and industrial water intakes, which has necessitated costly biofouling removal.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Mundo Maya is a region filled with natural wonders, historic remnants, architectural and archaeological beauty, and modern-day luxuries.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
-
It's filled with plants, so don't picture a giant mud hole.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Shoemaker swerved right off the 210 and rolled his Ford Bronco down the embankment, about three stories high, and onto the 57 freeway.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
In the wake of the 2007 settlement, tents began to appear on the sidewalks, freeway embankments, overpasses, underpasses, civic plazas and public spaces everywhere in Los Angeles.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Maden and Algerio charged Brown with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Justice Department charged Comey with making false statements and obstructing justice in connection with his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Section Two of the 1965 Voting Rights Act aimed to prevent mapmakers from weakening the voting power of racial minorities by either packing them into one district or spreading them out across too many districts to have an impact.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Naturally, the room was packed.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Heavily armed Secret Service agents flooded the stage and a broad collection of law enforcement and National Guard descended on the hotel.—
Calvin Woodward,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Other guests at the event ducked under tables, and other armed agents flooded the room for protection.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And then also, not a lot of people who can plug the hole can have a good pass rush.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2026
-
Some Level 2 chargers plug into a 240-volt outlet, while others are hard-wired into a home’s electrical system.—
McKynzie Steward,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dam. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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