as in blocked
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1
as in obstructed
to prevent passage through by filling with something
ice floes were damming the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in filled
to close up so that no empty spaces remain
dam up the pipes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of dammed
Zeb Hogan, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Legend has it that before the park was established, a young girl from a local settlement got lost in the woods in the area that later, when dammed, became Lake Fontana.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
But over the years, the river had been dammed upstream, drying it up and killing the fish.
—David Gelles, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
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
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
It wasn't dammed up then, and the water came gushing out icy cold!
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
Its 20th-century crash, 21st-century rebound and feared future rendezvous with newly invading predators is perhaps the clearest allegory nature has provided for the never-ending struggle to restore equilibrium to a great river that America dammed and then pushed to its limits.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
The avalanche temporarily dammed the Lonza River, which runs through Blatten, and small lakes, filled with dead trees and detritus from homes, formed on each side of the village.
—Daniel A. Gross, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
One of Alaska's most populated cities is bracing for potentially catastrophic flooding as a basin dammed within the Mendenhall Glacier has started to release rainwater and snowmelt downstream, according to officials.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Across the Northern Hemisphere, migratory fish such as salmon, sturgeon and shad have suffered major losses because rivers have been dammed and polluted, while many populations were heavily overfished.
—Zeb Hogan, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
Legend has it that before the park was established, a young girl from a local settlement got lost in the woods in the area that later, when dammed, became Lake Fontana.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
But over the years, the river had been dammed upstream, drying it up and killing the fish.
—David Gelles, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
According to the Lake Garda Improvement Association, in the 1920s Harry Battistoni bought small farms along the Burlington/Farmington border, dammed up a small brook, and created Lake Garda.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
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
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
It wasn't dammed up then, and the water came gushing out icy cold!
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
Its 20th-century crash, 21st-century rebound and feared future rendezvous with newly invading predators is perhaps the clearest allegory nature has provided for the never-ending struggle to restore equilibrium to a great river that America dammed and then pushed to its limits.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
The avalanche temporarily dammed the Lonza River, which runs through Blatten, and small lakes, filled with dead trees and detritus from homes, formed on each side of the village.
—Daniel A. Gross, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
One of Alaska's most populated cities is bracing for potentially catastrophic flooding as a basin dammed within the Mendenhall Glacier has started to release rainwater and snowmelt downstream, according to officials.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dammed
Verb
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Last month, legislative leaders blocked Assemblymember Ash Kalra’s third attempt to get a single-payer system, dubbed CalCare, adopted, shelving the San Jose Democrat’s Assembly Bill 1900 without a hearing.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
-
Virginia Republicans are breathing a sigh of relief Friday after the state Supreme Court blocked the new congressional map approved by voters last month.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Ricard turned this island into a whimsical microcosm of the good life—one filled with food, drink, creativit,y and communality—and now his descendants are continuing that spirit in partnership with the Zannier hotel group.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
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The long plastic bats were open at the top, and when filled with beer, fans could sip from them like unorthodox cups.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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San Franciscans who think Muni buses are always packed, or prone to crawl along choked streets, may find their views validated in a new slide presentation released by the Municipal Transportation Agency.—
Rachel Swan,
San Francisco Chronicle,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The company also allegedly provides refunds when the line of sight into Wrigley Field is obstructed.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 May 2026
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Prosecutors claim Tucker-Fleischfresser did not ensure that the resident received the prescribed insulin and obstructed the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs investigation.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Stick to oil-packed for this recipe.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
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On a gorgeous spring day, West Seventh Street in front of Grand Casino Arena was hopping Saturday afternoon, with a street party packed with enthusiastic Minnesota Wild fans anxiously awaiting the team’s first second-round home game in 12 years.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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The olive tree, like the apple tree in the Garden of Eden, stands as an emblem for these times, when everything is so difficult, when all our reasoning is so clogged up and logic is turned on its head.—
Emmanuel Iduma,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
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Fix leaky faucets, clean gutters and remove standing water from sources like birdbaths, plant saucers, and clogged drains that ants can use as a water source.—
Charlotte Maracina,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Jon Stewart served as host for the night, which got off to a fast start as Kevin Nealon drew a portrait of a woman from the crowd and Jimmy Kimmel (on the bass clarinet), Conan O’Brien (on the guitar) and Stewart (on the drums) jammed out on stage with Love on the Spectrum star Abbey Lutes.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
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Incident reports said the attack only stopped when the gun jammed.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Mythos is not publicly available, but comparably cyber-capable Chinese open-source models will be soon, and hackers will be able to find any holes not plugged by then.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
8 May 2026
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Is he caged and plugged under all of those polka-dot suits?—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dammed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dammed. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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