DIKES Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

dikes 1 of 2

noun

plural of dike

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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as in ditches

a long narrow channel dug in the earth water flowed along the dike to the small pond

Synonyms & Similar Words

dikes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of dike

as in fences

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dikes

Noun

Like many inland dikes, the barrier in agricultural fields near the small town of Waddinxveen, east of The Hague, is made of peat that needs to be damp to be strong enough to hold back water. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026 As the dikes spread, the region faced earthquakes and brought back into action long dormant faults, draining the magma beneath the ridge. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026 City officials warned residents in the vicinity of the dikes to prepare to evacuate. — Kansas City Public Library Staff, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026 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 core examples are nuclear power plants, dams, dikes. — Connor Greene, Time, 8 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

Many residents and volunteers rushed to fill sandbags as levees leaked and threatened to cause even more damage.

— Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 18 Aug. 2026
Another problem human measures like dams and levees seem to have created, the team argues, is a perception of safety.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of levees

Noun

This untreated runoff makes its way through storm drains and ditches into our local streams and rivers and eventually, the ocean.

— Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Both townships and counties had authority to tax land thus providing funds for roads and ditches.

— Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 July 2026

Definition of ditches

Verb

Apple hedges across the supply chain, but these price rises illustrate systemic long-term pressure rather than short-term variations.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
For example, low-cost Irish airline Ryanair currently hedges 80% of its jet fuel costs, giving them a significant competitive advantage when fuel prices increase.

— Tiago Ventura, Time, 26 June 2026

Definition of hedges

Noun

Water that isn’t trapped in dams or pulled from wells or rivers eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 2026
As opposed to beavers that build dams and lodges, block streams and divert and channel water, these beavers dig underwater into the bank of the reservoir and access their burrows through underground tunnels.

— Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of dams

Noun

Both sides have consequently dug legal and PR trenches to snipe at the other and rally endorsements.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
But since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, frontline combat has seen the return of positional warfare centered on fortified networks of trenches.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of trenches

Noun

Assam has invested heavily in embankments, erosion-control structures, flood walls and other engineering.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Rising sea levels push salt water inland through rivers, canals and shallow groundwater; storm surges cause embankments to collapse, allowing water to seep into soils, rivers and groundwater systems.

— Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, The Dial, 7 July 2026

Definition of embankments

Noun

Trees would need trimming, gutters would need cleaning, dead or dying plants would have to be removed.

— Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
The renovations will include repairs to the roofs, gutters, and façades as well as the installation of more than 10,000 square feet of energy-efficient glass in an effort to shield the works within from extreme weather.

— News Desk, Artforum, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of gutters

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“Dikes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dikes. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of dikes

noun

verb

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