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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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
Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Needing money, Godard turned to manual labor, getting a job at the construction site for the massive Grande Dixence Dam in Valais, Switzerland, which, when it was finished, would be the tallest dam in the world.
—Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
Kamal Morgan
february 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026
Designed for a valley miles away from the Sacramento River, the reservoir would pump water through an underground pipe connecting to the river, rather than damming and trapping its water supply.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dam
Noun
Concrete structures such as bridges, dams, tunnels, and pavements will inevitably have microcracks, allowing water and chloride ions to penetrate, leading to corrosion and failure.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Needing money, Godard turned to manual labor, getting a job at the construction site for the massive Grande Dixence Dam in Valais, Switzerland, which, when it was finished, would be the tallest dam in the world.
—Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Lake Como’s roots date back to 1889, when Denver investors dammed a creek about 5 miles west of downtown and built a luxury resort, casino and amusement rides modeled after Como, Italy.
—Kamal Morgan
february 7, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026
Designed for a valley miles away from the Sacramento River, the reservoir would pump water through an underground pipe connecting to the river, rather than damming and trapping its water supply.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dam
Noun
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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
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But farming communities nationwide have been adversely affected by the president's tariff policy, as global trading partners scaled back agricultural purchases like soybeans in retaliation for higher levees.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The undrafted rookie blocked two shots in the final seconds to help the Sacramento Kings hold on for a 117-113 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans before a crowd of 15,422 at Golden 1 Center.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
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The strait has effectively blocked by Iran since the start of the war.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With Estévez sidelined, the Royals turned to Lucas Erceg to fill the closer spot.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
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The celebrated restaurant in the Roma Norte neighborhood is most famous for its whole red snapper painted in vibrant swaths of red chile and green parsley sauces, but the menu is filled with must-try seafood (like the impeccable tuna tostadas).—
Kate Kassin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The California Highway Patrol was investigating a crash on Friday that briefly shut down Highway 50 in El Dorado County after a vehicle went off the road and crashed at the bottom of an embankment, leaving its driver and passenger with serious injuries.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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Westbound Highway 50 was shut down for an extended time as crews removed the vehicle from the embankment.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Police said 65-year-old William Hemphill was arrested and charged with obstructing highway passageway.—
CBS Texas Staff,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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The opportunities for science abound, such as the spectacular sight of a solar eclipse when the moon fully obstructs the sun from view.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rue is again working for Laurie, now as a drug mule traveling to and from Mexico and regularly packing her stomach with dozens of balloons of powder, to pay off her $100,000 debt.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
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That was where Wojciechowski was on a recent Sunday, packing to spend a few days in Augusta at the Masters.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The city has since explored smaller buyouts in places that flood repeatedly, including the Jewel Streets neighborhood, also known as the Hole, at the Brooklyn-Queens border.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Philadelphia adjusted at the break, pushing fullbacks higher and flooding the midfield, and Charlotte had no response.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While the front office grabbed headlines during the international window by signing French superstar Antoine Griezmann for a July arrival, the current roster has to immediately plug a porous defense that has leaked a league-high 17 goals in five matches.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
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This thing isn’t even plugged into anything.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dam. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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