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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

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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
The commission noted that all 201 parcels on Beach Road are at high risk of flooding, according to a flood insurance rate map from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026 Water began to flood the streets of Baja California Sur on Monday hours after residents boarded up homes and set up embankments as Hurricane Polo bore down on the peninsula Monday, threatening high winds, floods and mudslides. — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
Bright rays mark material blasted outward by relatively recent impacts, while vast, dark lunar seas lie where basaltic lava flooded ancient craters. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026 In the coastal New Jersey borough of Surf City, water flooded the streets and inundated some homes. — Matthew Mulligan, NBC news, 26 Sep. 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
  • Such terrain is already conducive to flash flooding, sudden torrents that can sweep down canyons and other low-lying areas with little warning.
    — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision unleashed unlimited torrents of money into political campaigns, elections are now largely financed by big money donors and super PACs.
    — Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of torrent
Verb
  • Video released Wednesday morning captured the moments when a Kansas City Police Department detective and a Clay County Sheriff’s deputy rescued a man from a pickup truck that was engulfed in flames.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
  • His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the Islamic State insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years.
    — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of engulf
Verb
  • Images of hospitals overwhelmed with the sick and dying flooded our consciousness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • These had worked adequately for isolated farmers, but too many could overwhelm the absorptive capacity of the ground—especially if sprinklers were watering the lawns—causing effluent to rise to the surface or enter waterways.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • In forensic parlance, a diagnosis of exclusion is one reached by ruling out other plausible causes; drowning can be challenging to prove, because often there’s no telltale sign that one occurred.
    — Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Meadows’ death certificate later listed his cause of death as drowning with probable hypothermia.
    — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • Police in Falmouth, Massachusetts, say criminal charges are expected against a Florida man after an SUV was found partially submerged at a beach during the nor'easter.
    — Neal Riley, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Both he and his now ex-wife were arrested, with piles of cash found in a Bagel Bites box in their freezer, down a heat vent, and submerged in spaghetti sauce.
    — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of submerge
Verb
  • Parts of the Desert Southwest could be deluged Wednesday as waves of robust monsoonal moisture lift into the region.
    — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In mid-August, Hurricane Lala deluged eastern Hawaii’s Big Island with feet of rain, triggering severe flooding.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 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 1 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flood

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flood

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