flood 1 of 2

noun

ˈfləd How to pronounce flood (audio)
Definition of floodnext
as in torrent
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms a flood nearly wiped out the town a flood of messages on my computer

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flood

2 of 2

verb

as in to engulf
to cover with a flood the lowlands were completely flooded angry calls flooded the radio station

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 flood
Noun
And yet, despite the flood of options, there’s even more to come, including a new addition to Ja Morant’s ever-expanding cache of Air Force 1 styles. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 19 July 2026 Party leaders, Wangchuk’s wife and supporters accuse authorities of ‘abducting’ him to stifle a growing protest movement, as police flood main protest with barricades and paramilitary forces. — Aijaz Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Verb
Rafi says separate arrangements were made for female DIU students to watch late-night kickoffs in Bangladesh, through screenings at their hostels, which is why fewer women are to be seen in the videos that flooded social media. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 19 July 2026 Supporters flooded Rapp’s Instagram with condolences following news of her death. — Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for flood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flood
  1. torrent
  2. engulf
  3. overwhelm
  4. drown
  5. submerge
  6. deluge
Noun
  • An analysis of a torrent of public comments submitted on a White House proposal to change the way federal contracts and grants are doled out shows a widespread rebuke of the potential change by scientists and others.
    — Anil Oza, STAT, 15 July 2026
  • The bull case is a torrent of words at odds with cash-flow reality.
    — Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of torrent
Verb
  • Flames from raging wildfires engulfed a train that was evacuating residents in Ontario, Canada.
    — Gina Park, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • In fact, the candle engulfed nearly three weeks of the prior price action.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 15 July 2026
Definition of engulf
Verb
  • The steak was smoky and tender, with the kind of char that lingers without overwhelming the meat.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • Going forward, Fedorov said, in order to overwhelm Russia’s recruitment pipeline, the country’s armed forces would aim to take out fifty thousand per month.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • When Rodri collected his Golden Ball award, having been voted player of the tournament, the Argentina supporters drowned it out with chants for Messi.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • But they were outnumbered three or four to one by Argentina fans, who drowned them out with long flat roars whenever their team repelled a Spanish shot, or bundled a player off the pitch.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • Video shared by Texas Game Wardens showed vehicles submerged and being swept away in water.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 17 July 2026
  • On a recent weekday, Mitrano Neves and his team lowered monitoring equipment loaded with cameras into different parts of the cove, leaving them submerged for an hour alongside bait to attract the sharks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of submerge
Verb
  • The water main break also flooded streets in the area, deluging parked cars.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 17 July 2026
  • In some cases, communities that endured flooding on Wednesday are being deluged once again.
    — Bill Chappell, NPR, 16 July 2026
Definition of deluge

Phrases Containing flood

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flogs
flood
flooded
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Cite this Entry

“Flood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flood. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flood

Nglish: Translation of flood for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flood

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