flows 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flow
1
as in streams
to move in a stream water was flowing over the dam at a tremendous rate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in glides
to move or proceed smoothly and readily as everyone relaxed, the conversation really started to flow

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flows

2 of 2

noun

plural of flow
as in floods

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 flows
Verb
The canal that flows between Fort Lauderdale resident Harry Rozelle’s house and his church is so infested with bacteria that his teenage son, Cruz, was hospitalized after swimming in it three years ago. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026 The liquid flows into the textile and hardens, forming a secure connection. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026 The catch is that this data flows through whoever hosts the workflow, and the economics of their model business reward pulling it into weights that get sold to everyone, including your competitors. — Sanjay Srivastava, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Instead of a traditional lobby, guests enter a salon-style space that flows seamlessly into Benedict, the hotel’s breakfast restaurant. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 July 2026 That information flows to the employee’s iPad as part of the repair system. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 20 July 2026 Iraq is using a vast fleet of trucks to carry fuel oil through Syria and reroute flows away from the Strait of Hormuz, rapidly transforming its neighbor into the Middle East’s top export hub. — Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 18 July 2026 Air flows clockwise around these domes, but until now, none of them have been in quite the right spot to drag Canadian smoke south. — Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 Total flows out of the Middle East Gulf region are averaging 15 million barrels per day, the spokesperson said. — Brian Sullivan,spencer Kimball, CNBC, 13 July 2026
Noun
About 20% of the world's oil flows throw the strait, and Iran's ability to block the flow of tankers has roiled the global economy, sending oil prices soaring. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flows
  1. streams
  2. glides
  3. floods
  4. pours
  5. drifts
  6. torrents
  7. cruises
  8. overflows
Verb
  • In the United States the show streams on the ESPN App and requires an ESPN Unlimited plan.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Still, Rogan’s The Joe Rogan Experience, which streams on Spotify, finished in the top spot.
    — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Definition of streams
Verb
  • It’s made with food-grade stainless steel that is both BPA and phthalate free, and also features a leakproof lid that easily glides back and forth to open or close.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 July 2026
  • With its roll-on applicator, the RoC Derm Correxion Retinol Firming Serum Stick easily glides onto the skin.
    — Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
Definition of glides
Noun
  • While the ballot box can’t change the risk of floods or hurricanes, a constitutional amendment on the November ballot could reduce homeowners’ costs in the form of lower property taxes.
    — Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
  • Residents from the region spoke to her about dealing with avalanches, floods and landslides in their isolated home.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 July 2026
Definition of floods
Verb
  • The public is increasingly skeptical of allowing the AI industry to govern itself, which is pushing legislators to rethink their hands-off approach, even as AI money pours like Niagara Falls into elections.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026
  • The sun pours through its many gaps, creating a constellation of light that illuminates the forest floor below.
    — Liam Scott, Washington Post, 24 July 2026
Definition of pours
Verb
  • If its multiple drifts back to 30 over the next five years, Apple will need a 5% annual push from a combination of repurchases and earnings expansion just to stay even, to maintain its share price at current levels.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 July 2026
  • Kirk briefly drifts away, drawn by the sound of a crying child.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 30 July 2026
Definition of drifts
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
  • Traveling such vast distances between our solar system's most remote objects means New Horizons often cruises for months at a time with little to do other than passively collect data.
    — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 8 July 2026
  • The third main character, a livestreamer named Jake Deal, cruises the night looking for chaos while narrating to his audience.
    — Carolyn Kellogg, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of cruises
Noun
  • Weeks after overflows from Atlanta’s sewer tunnels contributed to the deaths of thousands of fish on the Chattahoochee River, the city’s Department of Watershed Management says its investigating another fish kill on a different river.
    — Drew Kann, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
  • As Connecticut’s climate changes, more frequent and intense storms have lead to more overflows.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026
Definition of overflows

Browse Nearby Words

flown off the handle
flows
flub
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flows. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on flows

Nglish: Translation of flows for Spanish Speakers

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!

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

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All