drowning

verb

present participle of drown
1
as in flooding
to cover with a flood whole villages drowned by the rampaging river

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 drowning Naya Rivera died of an accidental drowning in 2020 and Cory Monteith died of an accidental overdose in 2013. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 In the years since the series concluded, another loss was suffered as Rivera, who played Santana Lopez, died from drowning in 2020 after going boating with her four-year-old son. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2026 In Nebraska, Democratic candidate Chris Backemeyer says families are drowning. — Kevin Freking, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 To back up, Jay’s decision to seek out the remains of his dead father Mitt Gardiner (Josh Brolin), who has committed suicide by drowning in the Pacific Ocean following a diagnosis of mesothelioma, is what really landed him in this situation. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 Another set of skeletal remains was discovered that May, and they were identified as a drowning victim from 2002. — CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors say he was beaten, suspended by his hands and feet and subjected to simulated drowning during two days of interrogation. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 Rings, watches, and even bedtime armbands like Garmin's Index Sleep Monitor now log every toss and turn, while dedicated sleep earbuds like the battery-less SomniBuds focus on drowning out the world around you. — New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026 The sector is drowning in data—990s, grant records and CRM records on thousands of donors—but it’s scattered and hard to act on. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drowning
  1. flooding
  2. soaking
  3. wetting
  4. engulfing
  5. saturating
  6. washing
  7. overwhelming
  8. drenching
Verb
  • As high tide peaked Monday morning, water surged from Newport Harbor onto the streets of the Balboa Peninsula flooding some businesses in the Balboa Fun Zone.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • That means Treasury will need to keep borrowing — a lot, flooding the market with bonds.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of flooding
Verb
  • Spacious rooms, skyline views, and soaking tubs offer comfort for all ages, and Buffalo Bayou Park across the street is ideal for biking or outdoor play.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Meltwater from the mountain’s glaciers and thawing permafrost flows down through ancient channels, fueling the great rivers and soaking into these sprawling boglands.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of soaking
Verb
  • Havenith said deliberately wetting clothing can provide evaporative cooling, including for older adults who may not sweat as effectively.
    — Aya Diab, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For best results, water deeply at the base of the plant, allowing moisture to soak into the root zone rather than wetting the foliage, says Kelly Funk, president and CEO of Jackson & Perkins.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of wetting
Verb
  • The protest movement has added to a sense of uncertainty and crisis engulfing France six months ahead of a presidential election that could usher in the first far-right government since World War II, led by Le Pen’s National Rally.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • And liquid nitrogen could transform custard into ice cream in the blink of an eye, engulfing the table in a theatrical fog.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of engulfing
Verb
  • Hazardous floods could occur if back-to-back storms dump heavy rains over several days, saturating the soil in the mountains and filling reservoirs.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Fortunately, labels both affordable and luxury are coming out with new takes on this trend like clockwork, saturating the market with colorful jackets for every personal aesthetic and practical need under the sun (or, more accurately, the rain).
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of saturating
Verb
  • Airbnb guests can say goodbye to checkout chores like washing dishes, stripping beds and taking out the trash under a new policy announced this week.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • An employee handled dirty utensils and dishes with gloves on and later handled clean dishes with those same gloves without washing hands in between.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of washing
Verb
  • The Arlington Heights Yellow Jackets (8-0, 4-0 District 4 5A-1) continued their dominant season Thursday night, overwhelming the Trimble Tech Bulldogs (4-3, 2-2 District 4 5A-1) 72-0 to remain undefeated.
    — Aliza Acuna, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Western and workwear references ran through the lineup without overwhelming its sporty foundation.
    — Footwear News, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelming
Verb
  • Pattern-Drenching Following the same concept as color-drenching, pattern-drenching is a bold way to cover blank surfaces with colorful art and designs.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The breakfast buffet is a must to gain the energy to hike the trails through drenching spray later.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of drenching

Browse Nearby Words

drowned
drowning
drowns
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Cite this Entry

“Drowning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drowning. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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