1
as in levees
a bank of earth constructed to control water
an elaborate system of dikes built to protect the lowlands from the relentless onslaught of the sea
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Recent Examples of dikes
Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
The dikes would consist of walls surrounding the city, separating it from the lagoon, Lionello said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Officials had worried that a system of dikes along the Skagit River would fail, and potentially inundate parts of Mount Vernon, a riverside town of about 35,000.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 13 Dec. 2025
Chinese mitten crabs burrow into levees, dikes, and stream banks, increasing erosion and threatening flood-control systems.
—Staff Author Updated, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
While the new dikes are funded by the federal government, the extensive reforestation efforts are privately covered by a non-governmental organization.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
Constructing protective structures such as levees and dikes can help, as can preserving natural landscapes, such as wetlands and estuaries that can act as a natural sponge to absorb floodwaters, in and near the cities, Shao and her colleagues wrote.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
The dikes would consist of walls surrounding the city, separating it from the lagoon, Lionello said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Officials had worried that a system of dikes along the Skagit River would fail, and potentially inundate parts of Mount Vernon, a riverside town of about 35,000.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 13 Dec. 2025
Chinese mitten crabs burrow into levees, dikes, and stream banks, increasing erosion and threatening flood-control systems.
—Staff Author Updated, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
While the new dikes are funded by the federal government, the extensive reforestation efforts are privately covered by a non-governmental organization.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dikes
Noun
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The Stillaguamish Tribe has been buying riverfront land in its traditional territory and removing levees to turn farmland into wetland with the hope of restoring Chinook.—
John Ryan,
NPR,
3 May 2026
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Constructing protective structures such as levees and dikes can help, as can preserving natural landscapes, such as wetlands and estuaries that can act as a natural sponge to absorb floodwaters, in and near the cities, Shao and her colleagues wrote.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Between forays into the shallows females rest in the cover of small ditches and cuts near shallow-water breaklines and river channels in six to 10 feet of water.—
John Phillips,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
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Work in Del Mar includes the installation of drainage ditches within the railroad right-of-way between Sixth Street and Coast Boulevard.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Government officials have redirected the river’s water from Isfahan to Yazd and other neighboring provinces for agricultural and industrial use, leaving the riverbed surrounding Si-o-Se Pol dry for most of the year, apart from periods when dams are opened to irrigate wheat fields east of Isfahan.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
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For the first time, golden mussels, an invasive species of tiny mollusks that can rapidly reproduce and cause millions of dollars in damage to pipes, drinking water plants, irrigation systems and dams — sparking growing concerns across California — have been found in Santa Clara County.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Iranian cinema classics are a hot cinematic commodity these days in the indie trenches.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
1 May 2026
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Advancing through the exclusion zone on their way to Kyiv, soldiers dug trenches in radioactive soil in the Red Forest — one of the most radioactive areas on Earth — and exposed themselves to high levels of contamination.—
Benjamin Mack-Jackson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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The East River Residence, which is suspended on thin columns, stretches across the valley like a bridge between two embankments, letting the terrain flow underneath it like water.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To counteract this unintentional sabotage, start by cleaning your gutters.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
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Possible mosquito breeding areas can include fish ponds, swimming pools, spas, standing water, tree holes, containers, bird baths, roof gutters, pet water bowls, street gutters, wading pools and watering troughs.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Neville hedges his bet by filling us in on Michaels’ spotlight apprehension, making his reticence a through line.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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Below the threshold, AI hedges your brand or ignores it.—
Jason BARNARD,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dikes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dikes. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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