floodgate

noun

Definition of floodgatenext
as in sluice

Related Words

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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 floodgate The floodgates to common sense have busted open, testing political natural selection. — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 5 June 2026 This doesn’t and shouldn’t open the floodgates throughout the rest of a firm. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 Hilary Crowley, a county spokeswoman, said a $100 million floodgate completed in 2024 has been infested with the relentless mollusks, requiring an expensive removal. — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 8 May 2026 The floodgate will require an expensive removal of the mussels. — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for floodgate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floodgate
  1. sluice
  2. barrier
  3. barrage
  4. barricade
  5. weir
  6. lock
Noun
  • Dam Removal Europe found that the number of dams dismantled in 2025, along with other water-flow controls like weirs, culverts and sluices, grew by 11% from the year before.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 3 June 2026
  • The archways are furnished with sluice gates that can open to allow excess water to pass through in periods of flooding.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Definition of sluice
Noun
  • But even when care is available, stigma can still present a huge barrier.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond removing the psychological and practical barrier of injections, oral formulations are not reliant on syringes or refrigeration and are cheaper to manufacture.
    — Perdita Nouril, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of barrier
Noun
  • Earlier this month, the air force stopped publishing the number of ballistic missiles fired or intercepted in Russia's nightly barrages.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Nolan’s father, Elmore Wonsley said his grieving family has also received online attacks — including a sudden barrage of negative reviews against his wife, a nurse practitioner, and vitriol from strangers.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of barrage
Noun
  • Officers pointed guns, sirens were sounded, and barricades went up at the gate entrance, KEYT reported.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Running battles erupted throughout downtown as security forces used tear gas and batons to disperse crowds, while protesters responded with barricades, stones, and slingshots.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of barricade
Noun
  • Removing the weir will lower the entire lagoon’s water level by several feet and restore the ebb and flow of ocean tides to the basin.
    — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
  • Known as Big John, the man was fined and forced to dismantle his traditional fish weir or risk imprisonment after he was reported for fishing outside of the reservation.
    — Aubrey Violeta Gelpieryn, CBS News, 30 May 2026
Definition of weir
Noun
  • One way is by adjusting the draft for vessels going through the locks.
    — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Its sturdy purpose is to guide and tow larger vessels through locks and busy lanes.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of lock

Browse Nearby Words

flooded
floodgate
floodgates
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Cite this Entry

“Floodgate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floodgate. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on floodgate

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about floodgate

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