as in flooding
to cover with a flood
high waves from the hurricane engulfed large areas of the coastal community
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Recent Examples of engulfing
Refuge in a church For three days, Josué, his parents and two siblings had taken refuge inside a church, trapped by a barrage of gunfire engulfing their neighborhood as rival gangs and the police fought nearby.
—
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
What to read next Another major problem, which is out of Disney and Lucasfilm's hands, is the Pedro Pascal fatigue engulfing the world at present.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 18 May 2026
The idea of a managerial change in October if Liverpool stick with Slot through the off-season feels ominous, because a couple of poor early results will bring back the negativity currently engulfing the club and his position will become untenable.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 17 May 2026
The impact seemingly dragged several nearby vehicles along the tracks, before the bus caught fire, rapidly engulfing the surrounding cars in flames.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Last fall, in the aftermath of both events, the two appeared on each other’s shows, using the opportunities to reflect on the chaos engulfing late-night TV.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2026
This anger crackles around him like a smoldering fire, igniting and engulfing everyone from the workers on his farm, his meek sister Férula (Fernanda Castillo), to Clara and, eventually, to their daughter, Blanca (Sara Becker and later Fernanda Urrejola), Alba’s idealistic mother.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
At least eight people were killed in Odesa, where video posted by the State Emergency Service, shows a fire engulfing a building and response teams carrying one casualty on a stretcher.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
While the daily hustle is just beginning for many, evidenced by the amount of foot traffic spotted passing by through the glass windows of the hotel’s restaurant, Jeff Peterson settles in to momentarily enjoy the Hornets’ metamorphosis and enthusiasm engulfing the franchise.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
What to read next Another major problem, which is out of Disney and Lucasfilm's hands, is the Pedro Pascal fatigue engulfing the world at present.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 18 May 2026
The idea of a managerial change in October if Liverpool stick with Slot through the off-season feels ominous, because a couple of poor early results will bring back the negativity currently engulfing the club and his position will become untenable.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 17 May 2026
The impact seemingly dragged several nearby vehicles along the tracks, before the bus caught fire, rapidly engulfing the surrounding cars in flames.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Last fall, in the aftermath of both events, the two appeared on each other’s shows, using the opportunities to reflect on the chaos engulfing late-night TV.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2026
This anger crackles around him like a smoldering fire, igniting and engulfing everyone from the workers on his farm, his meek sister Férula (Fernanda Castillo), to Clara and, eventually, to their daughter, Blanca (Sara Becker and later Fernanda Urrejola), Alba’s idealistic mother.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
At least eight people were killed in Odesa, where video posted by the State Emergency Service, shows a fire engulfing a building and response teams carrying one casualty on a stretcher.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
While the daily hustle is just beginning for many, evidenced by the amount of foot traffic spotted passing by through the glass windows of the hotel’s restaurant, Jeff Peterson settles in to momentarily enjoy the Hornets’ metamorphosis and enthusiasm engulfing the franchise.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engulfing
Verb
-
That was when the market capitalization of tech companies began to grow again, and more wealthy people began flooding Silicon Valley.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
-
Texas and Louisiana face the greatest risk of flooding Saturday and Sunday.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Starting with one or two from the list gives you flexibility without overwhelming your routine.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2026
-
But Sting wasn’t interested in overwhelming the audience.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Whales can drag heavy gear for months, unable to dive or feed properly, leading to starvation, infection and drowning.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
-
Being able to shut out the noise kept it from drowning out her voice.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Some have turned away from the sky—the internet has popularized a theory that UFOs are hidden in the ocean, concealing their existence by submerging their crafts deep below the water.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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To make the lake, the mountain rivers were redirected, submerging entire houses, camps, and towns.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Engulfing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engulfing. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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