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
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Now that oil prices are surging from the conflict with Iran, money is flooding into the state treasury and creating an uncomfortable situation for Democrats who oppose the war and would rather reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.—
Morgan Lee,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
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Later that summer, lingering moisture from Tropical Storm Mario contributed to flooding rains across portions of the southwestern United States on September 17-18, the hurricane center concluded in its post-storm report.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
-
Smooth tops, submerging bananas.—
Martha Stewart,
Martha Stewart,
11 May 2026
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But while social media is full of stars submerging themselves in icy water, doctors are urging caution about the bigger health claims tied to the trend.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Engulfing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engulfing. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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