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 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
Waves of water sloshed onto the streets of South Florida earlier this week, flooding cars and soaking feet. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026 The town was flooded when the Nova Kakhovka Dam collapsed in 2023. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 30 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
  • 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
  • Recently, a torrent of sparkling drinks has flooded in-person and online shelves, all with a dash of sugar instead of zero or artificial sweetener.
    — Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of torrent
Verb
  • Video footage released by Romania's intelligence service showed a person climbing the ladder of a building's fire escape, followed by brief flashes and flames engulfing a building.
    — STEPHEN McGRATH, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Video footage released by the intelligence service showed a person climbing the ladder of a building’s fire escape, followed by brief flashes and flames engulfing a building.
    — Stephen McGrath, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 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
  • Failing infrastructure In Miami Shores, the waters submerged the city’s golf course, shutting it down for days to dry out.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The team fashioned the bottoms out of scuba material that would allow Skarsgård to submerge in the water.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of submerge
Verb
  • Wide swaths of the Southwest were deluged Sunday as the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel weakened and moved inland, but coastal communities already battered by high surf emerged with less damage than some officials feared.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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 5 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flood

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flood

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