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
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
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
David Bauerlein, Florida Times-Union, 9 Feb. 2026
Into Mischief has been the leading sire in North America (by earnings) for the last seven years, including Derby winners Authentic (for Baffert), Mandaloun and Sovereignty, while Plutarch’s dam, Stellar Wind, was the 3-year-old champion filly in 2015.
—Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Evan Bush, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
On the tower’s other side, boundless flats of sand and cracked mud spread to the horizon across what was, prior to the river’s damming a century ago, one of Earth’s great green estuaries.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dam
Noun
Tom Townsend, a former Putnam County school superintendent, said his family operated steamship tours showcasing the Ocklawaha before construction of the dam.
—David Bauerlein, Florida Times-Union, 9 Feb. 2026
Into Mischief has been the leading sire in North America (by earnings) for the last seven years, including Derby winners Authentic (for Baffert), Mandaloun and Sovereignty, while Plutarch’s dam, Stellar Wind, was the 3-year-old champion filly in 2015.
—Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
But starting more than a century ago, people began to dam and straighten many of them for drinking water, flood control and hydropower.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
On the tower’s other side, boundless flats of sand and cracked mud spread to the horizon across what was, prior to the river’s damming a century ago, one of Earth’s great green estuaries.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dam
Noun
-
Of the first cities to be incorporated in California, Marysville retains its place as the smallest, with about 13,000 people within its borders sealed by a ring of levees that protect the city.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Marysville ring levee project started in 2010.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But Philips got her pads down to block a low shot to the disappointment of the home audience.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Millions of dollars in federal funds were set to flow once again to the Hudson River Tunnel Thursday night, after a federal court order blocking the bucks expired.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
My parents have both passed away, and my birthday has always been a cherished day, filled with memories and meaning.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The crowd, filled with mostly Illini fans, roared with delight.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Investigators found an unresponsive infant over an embankment outside of the residence, KSP officials said.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
-
In one incident, a 39-year-old man suffered a severe leg injury after crashing and rolling about 30 feet down an embankment.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The person notices the camera at Guthrie’s front porch and tries to cover the lens with their hand before scouting around the patio and yard area apparently for something to obstruct the camera.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Beyond the studio, CYE’s first year has been packed with variety-show appearances, photoshoots, fan meets, performance schedules, and now concert rehearsals.—
Rebecca Cairns,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The bike’s frame is small and functional, and tightly packed to maintain weight distribution.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The study also noted that many of these companies guaranteed some news outlets would cover the press releases, and were essentially flooding the space with garbage crypto information dressed up to look like reliable news.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
More than 4,000 tips flooded law enforcement agencies in the 24 hours after the images were broadcast.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Still, this isn’t universal plug-and-play for every legacy system.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Daley quickly used much of the money to plug budget gaps.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dam. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
