engulfing

verb

present participle of engulf
as in flooding
to cover with a flood high waves from the hurricane engulfed large areas of the coastal community

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 engulfing Yvette opens the door to Pizza City’s lone toilet, engulfing them in a bouquet of Pine-Sol and damp cinderblock and the earthier smell of the small weedy lot where the bathroom’s rear wall ought to be. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 Footage from that border area captured Wednesday showed a furious wave of material engulfing a multistory border facility known as the Gyirong Port Immigration Office. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 Those officials moved into these elevated positions in the months following the Herald/Times’ reporting on the scandal engulfing the embattled charity. — Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 As a parent who has purchased my share of scary Halloween costumes, I was particularly disturbed by the controversy now engulfing Target. — Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026 Chopper 2 The fire grew to three alarms, engulfing the entire building and eventually causing the steeple to collapse. — Adi Guajardo, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 Video shows thick black smoke engulfing the Mutiara Sentosa 2 as panicked passengers crowd the decks, some leaping overboard to escape the flames. — Trisnadi, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Home surveillance video shared with Fox News Digital shows flames engulfing the backyard as the fire spread. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 By the time crews arrived at the scene, somewhere between 3 and 4 feet of water and mud had accumulated in the theater, engulfing all of the ground floor seats and rising to the height of the elevated stage. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engulfing
  1. flooding
  2. overwhelming
  3. drowning
  4. submerging
Verb
  • Morgan Creek and Cove Creek will be particularly subject to flooding this morning.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) estimates that 300,000 to 500,000 people died, most from the surge flooding coastal islands and tidal flats.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of flooding
Verb
  • By the end, the clasp, which incorporates a personal poem, looms large in comparison, representing the virus overwhelming the community.
    — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Adversaries may soon be able to fly drones in coordinated swarms using AI, effectively overwhelming any defenses.
    — Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of overwhelming
Verb
  • Across Argentina, young borrowers like 20-year-old law student Martín Taborda are drowning in small loans that ballooned into unpayable debts, forcing them to abandon studies and basic expenses.
    — Débora Rey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • After decades of decline, the rate of drowning deaths among children has risen significantly in recent years, doctors recently warned.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of drowning
Verb
  • By submerging coal in a variety of fluids, Franklin was able to measure the typical size of its holes, as well as the amount of variation.
    — Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Stir in the basil, if using, submerging the leaves to prevent browning, then drop in the Thai chilies (if using).
    — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of submerging

Browse Nearby Words

engulfed
engulfing
engulfment
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Cite this Entry

“Engulfing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engulfing. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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