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

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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 flood
Noun
The weekend’s rain brought flood advisories Saturday night for Ventura, Orange and San Diego counties, but the region emerged relatively unscathed, with no major flash flood or mudslide events reported, according to the National Weather Service. — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026 South Florida is under a flood watch through Monday evening, with a 90% chance of rain in the forecast. — Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
Verb
When the streets flood in Florida, residents are bound to see some incredibly weird stuff that would make visitors question their sanity. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026 When the continents sank in the Cambrian, seas flooded in and buried the eroded surface. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 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
  • Storms in late October and early November sent torrents of water through normally small or dry creeks that overflowed their banks and flooded local communities.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
  • The claim led to a torrent of stomach-churning abuse and harassment directed at Dangerfield and her husband.
    — Nathan Taylor Pemberton, Vanity Fair, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of torrent
Verb
  • Paxton attendees were shocked at the blue tsunami that engulfed the country.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Thick black smoke engulfed the crash site and little remained of the plane.
    — DAVID FISCHER, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of engulf
Verb
  • The awkward silence overwhelmed everyone until the major stepped in front of Helen.
    — Ron Farina, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
  • For a curator not to take the venue seriously as an interlocutor is a fault that could overwhelm even very strong work.
    — Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • Theiss’ wife filed a police complaint alleging that the men were shocked while trying to get out of the pool and drowned, NDTV reported.
    — Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 31 Oct. 2026
  • And Saturday, with the game temporarily relocated to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Gators couldn’t even drown their sorrows in the usual Jacksonville sunshine.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • Heavy rainfall turned Wednesday into a soggy mess across Broward County, submerging streets and inundating neighborhoods in Davie and surrounding areas.
    — Anna McAllister, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Between 15 and 20 inches of rain have fallen in parts of Florida, turning roads into rivers, submerging cars and coming close to the state's single-day rainfall record.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of submerge
Verb
  • Still, there is something to be said for not deluging the viewer in on-screen gimmicks and graphic flashes.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026
  • California voters are now being deluged with ads and glossy mailers in what has proven to be one of the most expensive ballot fights in the state's history.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Nov. 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 12 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flood

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flood

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