dikes 1 of 2

noun

plural of dike
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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2
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
Historical records indicate that dikes were deliberately breached during a military conflict, allowing the swollen Yellow River to inundate the city. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026 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 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
  1. levees
  2. ditches
  3. hedges
  4. dams
  5. trenches
  6. embankments
  7. gutters
Noun
  • By the Army Corps’ estimate, by the early 2000s, 86% of Fort Worth’s levees were no longer tall enough to protect against that kind of biblical flooding.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Old levees and dams, for example, can leave a community vulnerable to catastrophic flooding, as the Seattle area saw in December 2025 when flooding from heavy rainfall broke levees in multiple communities.
    — Bethany Tietjen, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of levees
Noun
  • Homeowners may also be responsible for clearing leaves or keeping drainage ditches free of debris.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Much of the stone used to construct Hadrian’s Wall and its forts and milecastles was recycled over the centuries, but the stone footings largely remain, as do the flanking ditches.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Sep. 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
  • Reuters reported in 2025 that China and India, the world's most populous countries, have built 68 major dams in the Himalayas and another 101 are in the pipeline.
    — Mamita Bhandari, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Much of the Sacramento Valley depends on a network of levees, dams and bypasses to handle both large volumes of rainwater and extra releases from the many reservoirs in the mountains and foothills.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of dams
Noun
  • There, trenches, benches, niches and other architectural devices are carved into the floor and walls—adding to the drama of the paintings covering the walls.
    — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Marie Claire identifies high-collar outerwear as a defining trend of the season, spanning leather jackets, trenches, wool coats and sporty styles.
    — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of trenches
Noun
  • Water began to flood the streets of Baja California Sur on Monday hours after residents boarded up homes and set up embankments as Hurricane Polo bore down on the peninsula Monday, threatening high winds, floods and mudslides.
    — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • How levees work Levees are earthen embankments positioned parallel to a river that effectively raise the height of the banks of the river to prevent overflow when the river swells.
    — Kaleigh Yost, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of embankments
Noun
  • Keep photos of the roof, gutters and attic from year to year, because that visual record is the fastest way to see change.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Mosquitoes need only one tablespoon of water to breed, so areas like rain gutters, birdbaths or buckets with stagnant water are all possible breeding sites.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of gutters

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Cite this Entry

“Dikes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dikes. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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