flooding

verb

present participle of flood
as in engulfing
to cover with a flood the lowlands were completely flooded angry calls flooded the radio station

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 flooding Early Monday morning, the Gila River crested more than 2 feet higher than the level capable of flooding several homes and businesses on the north sides of Solomon, Safford and Thatcher, Arizona, according to the National Weather Service. — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026 Benally said his parents, both in their 60s, have lived in the area all their lives and have never seen flooding this severe. — Christopher Weber, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026 Rain fell nearly nonstop Sunday in Flagstaff, Arizona, flooding local roads and overwhelming storm drains. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026 Wolf Creek Ski Area Wolf Creek Ski Area The flooding emergency extends across multiple counties, with dangerous conditions expected to continue. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026 Part of the property lies in the Mary’s Creek floodplain, and nearby homeowners feared the development would worsen flooding on their side of the waterway. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flooding
  1. engulfing
  2. drowning
  3. overwhelming
  4. submerging
  5. inundating
Verb
  • Images on social media and on television stations showed flames engulfing a vehicle, with one door open.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of engulfing
Verb
  • Peterson was found guilty of drowning his third wife, Kathleen Savio, in 2012.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • India’s courts are drowning in documents — and even recording witness testimony can create a bottleneck.
    — Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of drowning
Verb
  • If this news is overwhelming you, maybe try a deep, brain-poisoning breath.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The very things that were supposed to be making life easier were overwhelming the human nervous system, patients and doctors alike believed.
    — Kirsten Balin, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelming
Verb
  • In his lab, mold has appeared only under deliberately extreme conditions, like submerging beans in water for hours and then exposing them to air for days.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
  • After submerging himself, Jay gets entangled in the tentacles of a giant squid, and that’s when the whale, who feeds on squid, pulls both Jay and the squid into his oversize gaping mouth.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of submerging
Verb
  • According to Times reporters, seawater from Newport Harbor surged over seawalls and flowed onto city streets, inundating homes and businesses this week.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The storm surge, a rise in the ocean caused by the hurricane’s winds, is expected to flood normally dry spots along the coast, potentially inundating homes and roads.
    — Laura Chung Laura Chung Laura Chung Laura Chung Laura Chung Laura Chung Laura Chung, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of inundating

Browse Nearby Words

floodgates
flooding
floodlight
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flooding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flooding. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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