1
as in flooding
to cover with a flood
whole villages drowned by the rampaging river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in soaking
to wet thoroughly with liquid
drowned the carpet with shampoo, and so it took forever to dry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wetting
to make wet
cooked pasta drowned in marinara sauce
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drowning
For those who repel the idea of noise-cancelling headphones, these deliver high-quality sound without drowning out the noise of oncoming traffic—an essential for city runners or anyone who can’t seem to stay out of the bike path.
—
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025
His cause of death was drowning.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
When Hamlet kills her father, Ophelia goes mad with grief and ultimately dies by drowning.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Unlike Hamlet’s noblewoman Ophelia, whose plight in a patriarchal society finds her powerless, spiraling into madness and leads to her tragic end by drowning, Swift’s Ophelia triumphs.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2025
The risk of drowning for autistic children is more than 160 times greater than the general child population, according to a 2017 study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Oct. 2025
The quake came as central Philippine provinces were still recovering from a storm that struck Friday, killing at least 27 people, mostly from drowning and falling trees.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
So much of this idea of water in relationship to the kid, in one way, is to [represent] suffocating and drowning, and in another way, being baptized and turning into a man, essentially, and figuring out what that means.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2025
The younger of the two, Bella, is unscathed; her sister had jumped into a pool to rescue her and ended up drowning herself.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025
His cause of death was drowning.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
When Hamlet kills her father, Ophelia goes mad with grief and ultimately dies by drowning.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Unlike Hamlet’s noblewoman Ophelia, whose plight in a patriarchal society finds her powerless, spiraling into madness and leads to her tragic end by drowning, Swift’s Ophelia triumphs.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2025
The risk of drowning for autistic children is more than 160 times greater than the general child population, according to a 2017 study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Oct. 2025
The quake came as central Philippine provinces were still recovering from a storm that struck Friday, killing at least 27 people, mostly from drowning and falling trees.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
So much of this idea of water in relationship to the kid, in one way, is to [represent] suffocating and drowning, and in another way, being baptized and turning into a man, essentially, and figuring out what that means.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2025
The younger of the two, Bella, is unscathed; her sister had jumped into a pool to rescue her and ended up drowning herself.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drowning
Verb
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The hours leading up to those high tides could see flooding too, with levels dropping lowest during low tide.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Ochsner Health did not answer questions about flooding preparations at Choctaw General.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
One-bedroom suites offer living, dining, and work areas, a powder room, and bathrooms with double vanities, soaking tubs, and separate showers.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 2025
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An Albany woman was recently sent to federal prison for soaking legal papers with a synthetic cannabinoid and mailing them into New York’s prisons.—
Jennifer Gonnerman,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
What sold me on the Shapton set was the process of wetting the whetstones.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Increase the resistance on this exercise by wetting the towel first.—
Aubrey Bailey,
Verywell Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An opera which seriously addressed that theme would be equal to the crisis that is engulfing the American experiment.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Videos on social media and broadcast by CNN affiliates showed fierce flames engulfing the beachfront property with plumes of smoke rising into the air.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In pastel satin, the shoe softened the architecture while saturating the butter tone that has been trending on red carpets all month.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
English advises saturating natural hair mats with Designme’s leave-in treatment, then applying their rich hydrating mask before detangling (first pass with your fingers, then with a wide-tooth comb) from the ends to the roots.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Wait 10 minutes before washing for milder stains or up to a week for more severe or stubborn stains.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The targets are those film companies and institutions that are complicit and are white-washing or justifying the genocide and its apartheid regime.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The onion, garlic, and cilantro add a little bite to the soup, while the chipotle chiles add a smoky flavor without overwhelming with heat.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
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The pumpkin stencil design is stitched onto plush, white fabric, creating a festive look that’s easy to add to your existing decor without overwhelming the space.—
Melody Kazel,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Floods are expected to worsen as a warming climate fuels stronger storms, drenching areas that are already flood-prone and bringing a new level of flooding to areas once considered lower risk.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
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Imelda’s drenching rains also began to ebb in the Bahamas on Monday, as most of the remaining tropical storm warnings were lifted Monday evening, minus the most northwestern islands of Grand Bahama and Great Abaco Island.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drowning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drowning. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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