floodplain

noun

Definition of floodplainnext
1
as in basin

Related Words

Relevance
2
as in grassland

Related Words

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 floodplain At first Weinstein couldn’t process his alarm—her house sits on a hillside, well off the 100-year floodplain—or the sight of other neighbors in her yard in their soaking pajamas. — Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026 Federal flood insurance’s moral hazards The National Flood Insurance Program was established by Congress in 1968 to provide affordable flood insurance to the public while encouraging floodplain management. — Ivis García, The Conversation, 1 June 2026 Salmon numbers have declined due to dams, which have blocked off their spawning areas; the loss of floodplain habitat; and global warming, which is intensifying drought and heating rivers. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026 The dinosaur roamed across what is now Montana and Wyoming, and across the western United States, which most likely looked like the Louisiana floodplain all those millions of years ago. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for floodplain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floodplain
  1. basin
  2. grassland
  3. canyon
  4. prairie
  5. pothole
  6. savanna
  7. gulch
  8. bottomland
Noun
  • Current satellite products reveal a pretty significant plume of Saharan dust throughout the basin.
    — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Prosecutors later concluded that evidence pointed to construction issues with the Reflecting Pool basin, rather than intentional vandalism.
    — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of basin
Noun
  • By then, firefighters had begun to arrive as flames spread across the dry grasslands and the family hurried to evacuate.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Crews using bulldozers and helicopters continued for a 10th day to fight a fire that has burned nearly 525 square miles (about 1,360 square kilometers) of grassland in western Idaho and eastern Oregon.
    — John Hanna, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of grassland
Noun
  • The voice-over then states that Williams fatally shot himself and fell into the canyon.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Officers pursued him toward the canyon, where an officer found him near the edge behind a shopping center.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of canyon
Noun
  • Skall Studio is a mainstay on the Copenhagen Fashion Week schedule, best known for its billowing cotton prairie dresses, chic linen suits, and cozy woolen sweaters.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Davis’s journey to San Jose began on his parents’ farm in Osage County, a land of hills, prairies and the Osage Nation.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
Definition of prairie
Noun
  • From bad bridges to potholes and fatal crashes on dangerous streets, a new report shows roads across the Sacramento region need major repairs.
    — James Taylor, CBS News, 19 June 2026
  • That progress hit a large pothole in the fifth inning at Rate Field as the White Sox scored seven times, chasing Sasaki from the game and going on to beat the Dodgers, 8-2.
    — Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 13 June 2026
Definition of pothole
Noun
  • Throughout the trip, travelers will have the opportunity to see the Great Migration, explore expansive savanna views, enjoy a helicopter flight over the famed Victoria Falls, go stargazing in the Namib Desert, spot lemurs in Madagascar, and more.
    — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 30 July 2026
  • But just like on a coral reef or savanna, eliminating predators threw the entire ecosystem out of whack.
    — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 27 July 2026
Definition of savanna
Noun
  • Plastic waste flutters and settles into gulches, catches in the fencing.
    — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026
  • Head right, and there came public land, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest with its creeks and gulches and two-bit towns like Peanut and Beegum.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Definition of gulch
Noun
  • Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park conserves nearly 13,000 acres of rare hardwood bottomland along the Mississippi River, including eerie bald cypress swamp.
    — CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
  • Southern magnolia is native to moist woodlands and bottomlands along the coastal plains where the seeds are eaten by birds and other wildlife.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of bottomland

Browse Nearby Words

floodlit
floodplain
floodplains
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Floodplain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floodplain. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on floodplain

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about floodplain

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All