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
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When a conversation shows patterns linked to common fraud tactics, users may receive prompts that explain the risk and suggest actions like blocking or reporting the account.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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Certain graphics on this page may be affected by ad-blocking software.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
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There are a total of 16 slots carved into the wooden frame and the Wild are one-fourth of the way to filling it up heading in Game 3 of the second round against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at Grand Casino Arena.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
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And here's a story about how the United States is exporting oil at record levels, filling a global supply gap even as gas prices remain stubbornly high back home.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Eight people were arrested at the demonstration, Gothamist said, and were charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
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Guido Reichstadter was safely removed from the bridge and is charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding, unlawful entry and failing to obey an officer, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) told Fox News Digital.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The bee should be eliminated first before plugging the hole.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
5 May 2026
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The Hawks should have more chemistry now that most of them have a full NHL season under their belts, and plugging Stenberg into that would fit like a puzzle piece.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
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In other area action Saturday, Winter Springs was looking to send Wesley Chapel packing after winning the first game of their 5A Region 2 series Friday night.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
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The Space-saving Swaps Streamlining my tech also made a huge difference in packing light and saving space.—
Kayla Kitts,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Damming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damming. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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