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
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
At 710-feet tall, the dam flooded the Colorado River to form Lake Powell, one of America’s favorite tourist destinations.
—Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
But a combination of river damming, habitat destruction, overfishing and pollution has caused numbers of the southern residents’ preferred prey, Chinook salmon, to plummet since the 1980s.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dam
Noun
The tow boat pushed a barge stacked with what looked like orange logs through a narrow canyon toward the spilling dam.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
At 710-feet tall, the dam flooded the Colorado River to form Lake Powell, one of America’s favorite tourist destinations.
—Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
The more Austinites have expanded the surface area of lakes — by damming up the Colorado River with various degrees of success from 1893 to 1960 — the more moisture was available to evaporate into the air.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
But a combination of river damming, habitat destruction, overfishing and pollution has caused numbers of the southern residents’ preferred prey, Chinook salmon, to plummet since the 1980s.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dam
Noun
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To reshape the Mountain View pond and reinforce levees against sea-level rise and storm surges, crews imported 180,000 cubic yards of fill dirt from local construction sites.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The channel is meant to boost flood control and replace aging levees built in the wake of the 1949 flood.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Wembanyama blocked Kris Dunn’s reverse layup, creating a fast break that ended with an alley-oop dunk by Carter Bryant.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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As their bold production takes shape, a rival white theatre mounts its own Richard III just blocks away, threatening to undermine, overshadow, and outmaneuver them.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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New horizons call as the shimmering Sun in your curious 9th house trines buoyant Jupiter, filling you with inspiration to travel far and wide (literally or mentally).—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The room was absolutely filled, speaking to the urgency of the topic.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In San Diego County, a large part of the weekend’s work will be the relocation of train signals and the construction of an embankment and a retaining wall as part of the San Diego Association of Governments’ ongoing Batiquitos Lagoon double-track project in Carlsbad.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Breakfast patios overlook rafters drifting by; anglers cast from stone embankments; kayakers practice freestyle moves at the whitewater park in the middle of it all.—
Ted Alvarez,
Outside,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That seal was obstructing the interface, which is known as a quick disconnect.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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They’re scheduled to vote on a number of bills, including Senate Bill 443, which would increase penalties for obstructing highways or streets.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those warheads typically carry 30 kg to 50 kg of explosives and can pack a punch, particularly when used in large swarms, with advanced versions capable of a range of up to 1,200 miles.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The storms are packing quarter-sized hail (1 inch).—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Hall of Fame coach flooded the playbook with postups – many seeing Green throw the entry pass – against an undersized Oklahoma City front line.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Large hail, damaging winds, flooding rainfall and an elevated, non-zero threat for tornadoes will be possible.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For older systems, travelers can purchase additional accessories like AirFly, which plugs into the headphone jack and connects to wireless headphones via Bluetooth.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2026
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At the same time, reserves that have been used to plug financing gaps in recent years have largely dried up, in part because fee-paying visits to the cathedral's towers and treasury couldn't take place for long periods during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dam. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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