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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of dams
Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 1 June 2026
The Colorado River gave the city power, beauty and a bit of unpredictability in roughly equal measure—especially before a system of dams helped tame the floods that had long made the river both useful and volatile.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
In recent months, authorities in countries including Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Norway have alleged that hackers linked to Russia targeted their critical infrastructure, including power plants and dams.
—ABC News, 26 May 2026
Humanity produces roughly 4 billion tons of it every year, mixing the fine powder with water, sand, and aggregates like gravel to create concrete and mortar used in buildings, bridges, roads, tunnels, dams, and countless other forms of infrastructure.
—New Atlas, 26 May 2026
Massive dams now block access to historic spawning habitat.
—Eric Palkovacs, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Cheaper hydropower Low-head micro hydropower systems can generate up to 100 kilowatts (kW) of electricity at smaller dams and waterways.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
Jackson also hopes to make a movie about the Dambusters Raid, which was an attack on German dams by the Royal Air Force carried out on the night of May 16, 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 May 2026
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
European countries removed hundreds of dams last year, reconnecting thousands of miles of rivers.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 1 June 2026
The Colorado River gave the city power, beauty and a bit of unpredictability in roughly equal measure—especially before a system of dams helped tame the floods that had long made the river both useful and volatile.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
In recent months, authorities in countries including Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Norway have alleged that hackers linked to Russia targeted their critical infrastructure, including power plants and dams.
—ABC News, 26 May 2026
Humanity produces roughly 4 billion tons of it every year, mixing the fine powder with water, sand, and aggregates like gravel to create concrete and mortar used in buildings, bridges, roads, tunnels, dams, and countless other forms of infrastructure.
—New Atlas, 26 May 2026
Massive dams now block access to historic spawning habitat.
—Eric Palkovacs, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Cheaper hydropower Low-head micro hydropower systems can generate up to 100 kilowatts (kW) of electricity at smaller dams and waterways.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
Jackson also hopes to make a movie about the Dambusters Raid, which was an attack on German dams by the Royal Air Force carried out on the night of May 16, 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Verb
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asked experts to study what happened at the Edenville and Sanford dams.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
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
-
Been there as communities have tried to tame the mighty waters with levees and embankments, and battled 100-pound invasive fish.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
Reconnecting rivers, many of which have been restricted by levees, to seasonal floodplains can dramatically improve growth and survival for juvenile salmon and increase their resilience to climate change.—
Eric Palkovacs,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
No security feature blocks every attack forever.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
During one of their early meetings, Castillo got on the whiteboard and described a basic pass protection in which every lineman slides over and blocks a gap.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
When a patient fills a prescription for a drug that carries a rebate, the pharmaceutical manufacturer remits an amount to the PBM, according to terms laid out in the contract.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Plus, Nick fills us in on what’s coming in 2026, aka his 2026 London checklist.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Been there as communities have tried to tame the mighty waters with levees and embankments, and battled 100-pound invasive fish.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
In the wake of the 2007 settlement, tents began to appear on the sidewalks, freeway embankments, overpasses, underpasses, civic plazas and public spaces everywhere in Los Angeles.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 May 2026
-
White insisted on the extra room to ensure that nothing obstructs the White House TV shot.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The discovery also plugs a gap in our understanding of Venus's dense atmosphere.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
13 May 2026
-
Another distinction is its saddle and seatpost, which form a unit that plugs into a corner of the square motor/battery assembly.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The virus floods the immune system, eventually shredding our vasculature.—
Neil Vora,
Time,
22 May 2026
-
The heart, with its every beat, pumps out a mourning substance that floods the brain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
The game packs an unbelievable amount of variety into its level design, and the controls are just unconventional enough to keep you from coasting on muscle memory.—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
If pinks aren’t your preference, skip the strawberry and lean fully into citrus with a straightforward nail design that packs on the lemons.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dams.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dams. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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