as in levees
a bank of earth constructed to control water
the river backed up behind the dam until it formed a new lake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in blocks
to prevent passage through by filling with something
ice floes were damming the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fills
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 dams
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
In Golestan province, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds failed to arrive this autumn, with drought and upstream dams pushing the region toward ecological collapse.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Estimates provided by the TVA suggest the dams could keep Peninsula dry even in a 500-year flood.
—CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Successive Iranian rulers believed that dams, deep wells, and inter-basin transfers could outsmart geography and climate.
—Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Running just under forty-two minutes and shot primarily from helicopters and drones, Murderers Bar documents the drawdown of Copco 1, the oldest of the dams along the lower Klamath Valley.
—Anne Reeve, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Along the way, visitors may spot signs of the sanctuary’s most visible resident, the beaver, from impressive dams to cleverly constructed dens and lodges, as well as birds such as the snow goose, lapland longspur, and chimney swift.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
Hydropower dams are highly suitable for floating solar projects but present engineering difficulties due to significant variations in water height.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
In Golestan province, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds failed to arrive this autumn, with drought and upstream dams pushing the region toward ecological collapse.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Estimates provided by the TVA suggest the dams could keep Peninsula dry even in a 500-year flood.
—CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Successive Iranian rulers believed that dams, deep wells, and inter-basin transfers could outsmart geography and climate.
—Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Running just under forty-two minutes and shot primarily from helicopters and drones, Murderers Bar documents the drawdown of Copco 1, the oldest of the dams along the lower Klamath Valley.
—Anne Reeve, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Along the way, visitors may spot signs of the sanctuary’s most visible resident, the beaver, from impressive dams to cleverly constructed dens and lodges, as well as birds such as the snow goose, lapland longspur, and chimney swift.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
Glacial outburst floods happen when the ice dams holding back glacial lakes fail, allowing a sudden release of water.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dams
Noun
-
Several creeks north of Vallecito Reservoir in La Plata County rose rapidly on Saturday, breaking through levees and over riverbanks, as the remnants of Tropical Storm Priscilla moved over the region.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The new levees will replace old dirt berms that are 6 to 10 feet high.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Treatment requires intravenous administration of ethanol or fomepizole, a specific antidote that blocks methanol’s toxic conversion.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The deals include truly innovative items, such as the Waoaw Blackout Sleep Mask, which blocks out 100 percent of light, and the Allclair Nausea Relief Inhaler, which offers a new solution to motion sickness.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Particularly in the case of the latter two galaxies, the radio jets seem to be interacting with the intra-cluster medium, which is a thick fog of hot plasma that fills galaxy clusters, and this interaction is shaping both the jets and the radio rings.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Then, warm soap water fills up to the chest level automatically, washing the user without any movement required.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Family, friends and spectators line the embankments, looking down from pedestrian bridges and the underpasses, holding up signs and cheering.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Scruton and his team had a weekend to remove the trees, mud, dirt and embankments.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Daniel picks it up, plugs it in, and looks through it.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Using a traditional electronic device cord, the owner plugs an inductive charging plate into an outlet.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In shocking footage posted on Facebook, large waves are seen breaking through the glass doors of the lobby as water rushes in and quickly floods the hotel.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Bright sunlight floods the sensors with background noise, surface reflections distort the signal, and long-distance measurements require higher stability than short-range indoor use.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Each vegan, keto-friendly bar packs 12 grams of protein and brain-boosting nutrients like omega-3s and MCT oil.—
Olivia Tarantino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Oct. 2025
-
This speaker is a best seller on Amazon (with nearly 80,000 positive reviews) for a reason—its sound system really packs a punch.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dams. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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