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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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 floods

Noun

At least 165 people have been killed, and hundreds more are missing after catastrophic floods swept through towns and valleys along the border between Nepal and China's Tibet region. — Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026 And in other spots in Florida, like the Keys and Tampa Bay, residents are choosing to elevate their existing homes several feet to keep them safe from floods. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 Melting glaciers can feed and enlarge glacial lakes, increasing the potential for sudden floods. — Sibi Arasu, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 New York’s summer weather has been a trial and a tribulation, intense heat — temperatures reached over 100 degrees in Central Park on the hottest day in July — alternating with gales and floods. — Matthew Schneier, Curbed, 27 Aug. 2026 Nepali officials have said the floods were likely unleashed by a glacial collapse, which is when a large piece of ice, rock and debris suddenly detaches from a glacier on a mountain. — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026 But Gurmachhan says these floods are unlike anything anyone has seen before. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 Seventy-seven people from one pilgrimage group were caught in the floods at the immigration office at the border, according to a post on X from Indian spiritual guru Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. — Shristi Kafle, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 With less than 2% of California homes insured against floods, an El Niño winter is a timely reminder to explore coverage through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program. — Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Verb

Each year, the tournament floods Baltimore’s economy with millions of dollars, boosting tourism, supporting local businesses, and energizing our communities. — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026 If an agent misbehaves, floods a system, or takes an unauthorized action, the organization on the receiving end often has no reliable way to determine who is responsible for it. — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Sunlight floods the main living area thanks to an entire facade of front-facing, floor-to-ceiling windows that also supplies immersive views of the surrounding forest. — Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 15 July 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for floods

Noun

The rocks and melted water suddenly swelled the rivers in the valleys below, causing torrents of water that swept buildings, bridges and earth downstream in Tibet and Nepal.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Footage shows torrents of mud and debris sweeping through settlements and carrying buildings and vehicles with them.

— Milad Haghani, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of torrents

Verb

And yet, in Yoon’s hands, a character’s suffering never overwhelms their capacity for tenderness.

— Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 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