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

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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 companies say a flood of lawsuits in state courts is not the way to deal with the global issue. — Lindsay Whitehurst, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, flood watches are in effect along the Gulf Coast and in Florida. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
Support lines flood with complaints, and what was meant to reduce billing disputes ends up manufacturing new ones. — Olufunsho Peters, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Eastern Africa can be susceptible to flooding during an El Niño, drowning cereal crops there, while southern Africa is drought-prone. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 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
  • An off-duty KCPD detective and a Clay County sheriff’s deputy immediately jumped into action last week after spotting a Ford F-150 pickup truck engulfed in flames along Interstate 35 — and the whole thing was caught on camera.
    — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And for much of the game Sunday, gloom once again engulfed McVay and a team that opened the season as a heavy Super Bowl favorite.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of engulf
Verb
  • Some can overwhelm websites and online services with traffic.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • This year's French Open winner fired six aces and took five of her seven break point opportunities to overwhelm her Uzbek opponent in just in 68 minutes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • Workers and employers are drowning in their health insurance premiums.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And three, sometimes four, of those many waking hours are spent in the car — bouncing from home to school to her second or third job and home again — with music at full blast to drown out the babble of anxiety, most of it financial.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of drown
Verb
  • But the real fix is still months away, when the city finishes the longtime West Avenue drainage project that will redirect that water that submerged her garage into city pumps and pipes instead.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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 8 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flood

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flood

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