1
as in blocking
to prevent passage through by filling with something
ice floes were damming the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in filling
to close up so that no empty spaces remain
dam up the pipes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of damming
Then, about 20,000 years ago the Laurentide continental glacier moved into the area, pushing rocks, soil, and other debris, eventually damming Pine Creek and forming an expansive lake.
—
Anthony Fredericks, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
As these boar and beavers escape, digging up his neighbor’s fields and damming his streams, the two farmers begin to butt heads.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Mar. 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
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
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
That can help identify whether your home is at risk of ice dams, and lead to insulation upgrades and other services to mitigate ice damming in the future.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The authors further emphasize that behaviors such as waterfall climbing may be especially vulnerable to environmental pressures, including habitat fragmentation and river damming.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025
Anthony Fredericks, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
As these boar and beavers escape, digging up his neighbor’s fields and damming his streams, the two farmers begin to butt heads.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Mar. 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
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
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
That can help identify whether your home is at risk of ice dams, and lead to insulation upgrades and other services to mitigate ice damming in the future.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The authors further emphasize that behaviors such as waterfall climbing may be especially vulnerable to environmental pressures, including habitat fragmentation and river damming.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damming
Verb
-
Some 20 Republicans joined most Democrats in blocking its advance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Human Rights Watch said authorities have taken sweeping steps to curb religious practice, including tearing down churches and crosses, blocking gatherings at unregistered churches and seizing religious materials not approved by the state.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Seeing a gap and filling the need, when the Boston Marathon was canceled for the first time in its history, PRC decided to host their own marathon.—
Courtney Cole,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Experts say consumers can benefit from comparing prices before filling up, using apps or local knowledge to find cheaper options.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Russian sage adds both height and texture to gardens without obstructing the view of the plants behind it, thanks to its airy appearance.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Joshua Mills, 32, was sentenced Thursday to five to 20 years in prison on one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and received an additional two to four years for two counts of resisting, obstructing or assaulting a police officer and one year for second-degree retail fraud.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Many wells remain the responsibility of active oil and gas field operators and are subject to idle well management plans, bonding requirements and escalating plugging obligations under recent legislation.—
Tim Rathmann,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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No one in my generation remembers the huge labor force of switchboard operators, but in the 1950s there were 340,000 workers physically plugging cords into jacks to connect callers to one another (roughly equivalent to the number of dental assistants today).—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For travel days, pair your airport-ready sweatsuits with the Everyday Trainer Sneakers, or toss the Scrunched Sneakers that feature a flexible silhouette into your suitcase to make packing a breeze.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
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Amazon's fulfillment services include the process of storing, packing and shipping orders.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Damming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damming. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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