dike 1 of 2

1
as in dam
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2

dike

2 of 2

verb

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 dike
Noun
In addition to the hundreds of thousands of acres of marshland that were drained or diked off, the researchers discovered former wetlands that now are forested that were unknown to anybody. Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, 17 Aug. 2019 Ed Musial blames a series of finger dikes the state installed in the 1980s for channeling the river past their homes. Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, 30 June 2019
Verb
By taking down part of the old dike and building a new one farther back, the project has given the river some breathing room, expanding the floodplain. Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025 One of America’s oldest plantations, Magnolia was established in the 1670s as a rice plantation featuring extensive dikes and earthworks built by enslaved Africans with a link to the Gullah culture. Noreen Kompanik, Boston Herald, 3 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dike
Noun
  • Developed over six years and filmed across 17 cities on three continents, the documentary delves into the largest environmental lawsuit in history, following the devastating collapse of the Mariana dam in Brazil.
    Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Projects were approved without proper reviews, and hundreds of dams rose without environmental safeguards.
    Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The pickup veered off the road, struck a concrete culvert and went airborne before landing in the ditch, according to police.
    Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
  • In heavy rain, refrain from parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a grave danger.
    Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Security guards conduct basic metal detector searches at the front, and the rear doors are fenced off in an open-air parking lot.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Barriers and fencing for the bridge's multiuse path for pedestrains are also being installed, and Bridging North America is finishing up the ramps connecting Interstate 75 to the bridge with line painting and signage, Grondin said.
    Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • By Fathom’s estimate, a 100-year flood could cause the nearby Columbia River to spill over a levee that protects Richland, then loosely follow the creek to the hospitals.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Utilities, the levee and Interstate 80 limit where workers can place boring equipment around Prospect Slough, Moreno wrote.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Ultimately, some in the Hollywood trenches see the reaction to Tilly as overblown.
    Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The resulting microplastics are so widespread, they’re found in places as remote as ocean trenches and as close as human breast milk.
    Matt Fuchs, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Animals that are kennel-trained will likely be pleased to be in their cozy confines and away from the bustle of vacuums, mops, and the like, but for those who are roamers, consider gating off an area for them.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025
  • The new trains are faster, capable speeds of up to 160 miles per hour, while most of Amtrak's current rolling stock is gated at 125 miles per hour.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The front of the school bus, meanwhile, was entangled with a tree in the embankment, the body of the bus tilted completely to one side.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Three years ago this week, Hardy was on his way back from a concert in Bristol, Tennessee, when his tour bus careened off the road and rolled down an embankment.
    Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Mosquitoes need water to breed, so limit standing water around your home by cleaning gutters and downspouts, removing leaves from low-lying areas and draining dishes under flower pots after rainstorms.
    Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Zone 1 — which extends 30 feet from a building — requires property owners to do things such as clear dead plants, grass as well as leaves and pine needles from yards, roofs and gutters; trim overhanging branches; and keep a 10-foot gap between trees.
    Hannah Ruhoff, Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dike. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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