FLOODS Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

floods 1 of 2

noun

plural of flood

as in torrents

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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floods

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flood

as in engulfs

to cover with a flood the lowlands were completely flooded angry calls flooded the radio station

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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 floods

Noun

Officials said the warning systems built since last year’s catastrophic floods were activated in Kerr County in the early hours before water levels began to rise, allowing for people to react quickly to flooding threats. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 17 July 2026 Dangerous floods are hitting southcentral Texas — a region that just marked one year since more than 130 people died in catastrophic flooding. — Bill Chappell, NPR, 16 July 2026 One person has died and rescues are underway as catastrophic flooding overwhelms the Hill Country, a little more than a year after the July 4 floods killed more than 130 people in Central Texas. — Mary Ella Hastings july 16, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026 Since then, the pup has helped save more than 350 lives, deployed after landslides, structural collapses, gas explosions, floods, and the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria. — Tibisay Zea, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026 Most people will point to 2010, 2011, and 2012, when there were significant floods. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026 Pakistan experiences heavy monsoon rains every year and the downpours frequently trigger floods and landslides that cause deaths and widespread damage. — ABC News, 14 July 2026 As disasters become more frequent and recovery efforts increasingly overlap with new floods, storms, heat waves, droughts and other disruptions, strengthening these systems will be crucial for successful, resilient recoveries. — Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, The Conversation, 13 July 2026 When heavy rain occurs, there is a potential for flooding, particularly in areas that are low-lying or prone to floods. — Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 8 July 2026

Verb

This is the essence of GPS spoofing, in which an attacker floods a GPS receiver with deceptive signals. — Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Melatonin floods the brain and body, telling each cell that night has come. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026 Eating quickly floods your body with calories, which can cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket. — Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 9 June 2026 The virus floods the immune system, eventually shredding our vasculature. — Neil Vora, Time, 22 May 2026 Years later, when our lives intersect with children and children’s books, the ice thaws; that old love floods us. — Mac Barnett, Longreads, 5 May 2026 Neuroscientists Wendy Suzuki, PhD, Samuel Wang, PhD, and Gary Small, MD explain how movement increases blood flow, boosts growth factors like BDNF, and floods the brain with mood-lifting neurochemicals. — Big Think, 30 Apr. 2026 These pieces blend perfectly with lamps designed by Marcel Wanders, the subtle Ice Cream collection, and the natural light that floods the space, bringing the building’s century-old architecture to life. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026 The annual SantaCon bar crawl that floods New York City with inebriated young people in Santa suits every holiday season was run by a real-life Grinch, according to federal prosecutors. — Larry Neumeister, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for floods

Noun

Most of the deaths were in Hengzhou, where the partial collapse of a reservoir dam sent torrents of water into the city and claimed 26 lives, said Ding Wei, the vice mayor of Nanning city, which has jurisdiction over the area.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
One significant problem, however, is that red dwarfs spit out harmful torrents of radiation in fierce gusts of their stellar winds, which can strip away a planet's atmosphere.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of torrents

Verb

Furniture that is too large for a room overwhelms it; ensure your furniture is appropriate for your room size and the other pieces in that room.

— Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 July 2026
The visual storytelling is matched by clear, engaging prose that never overwhelms the images.

— Rebecca Coffey, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of overwhelms

Verb

Most of the peril comes with dangerous ship-wrecking moments, including one that implies the death of Moana's relative, while our heroine herself almost drowns on her first voyage from land.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 July 2026
The show involved bizarre, absurdist comedy premises — in one episode, a man drowns in a bowl of Mary’s chicken soup — and satirized the effects of consumerism on the American housewife.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 7 July 2026

Definition of drowns

Verb

Heat schmaltz in a large pot to 325 F, ensuring the fat fully submerges the chicken.

— Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 9 June 2026
Reviews have been positive for the thriller, which follows several residents of a small South Carolina town after a freak storm submerges the streets in enough water for marine predators to move in looking for snacks.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026