FLOWS Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

flows 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flow

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

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

Given the relatively slow expansion of Europe's domestic tech sector, institutional capital increasingly flows toward US cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence initiatives. — CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026 The practice is rooted in Qi, a life force that flows through 14 meridians in the body, according to UT MD Anderson. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2026 Officials feared the San Juan River that flows through it would top a level that nearly wiped out the town in 1911. — Christopher Weber, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026 The highway of modern music flows through only a narrow band of people. — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 2 Nov. 2026 Nearby, a formal dining room with a striking Shakuff chandelier flows into the remodeled kitchen with Calacatta Viola counters, premium appliances, a butler’s pantry, and a conservatory breakfast room. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2026 My family lives on a large creek off the Magothy River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. — Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2026 While several leaders in my survey described stagnant information flows as an impediment to responding to overlapping disruptions, a few also reported tackling internal communications as a way to deal with polycrisis. — Carol Geffner, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Nearly half of revenue, 48% in the first half, flows through the cloud marketplaces of Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, which also accounted for 58% of the company’s net receivables. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 26 Oct. 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

Verb

Repeats of the series have been a staple of broadcast, cable and, more recently, Netflix, which streams the original series and a reboot that launched in September.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
That means Prentice, for now, can stop worrying about lawmakers taking away the sunlight that streams through his windows each morning.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of streams

Verb

The aircraft glides on its long wings while the coasting propeller turns the motor into a generator, feeding about 9 kW back to the battery.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Oct. 2026
When my skin is this smooth and even-toned, my makeup glides without a hitch, without a pill or skip in sight.

— Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of glides

Noun

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, a statewide research division, said El Niño is partly to blame for the recent floods.

— Ava Berger, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
From droughts and wildfires to floods and slow, rolling nature degradation, fashion’s nature risks are becoming impossible to ignore.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of floods

Verb

An infusion pump hangs from a pole beside him; sunlight pours through tall windows in the background.

— Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Jayawardhana defended the decades-old partnership between higher education institutions and Washington, which pours billions of dollars into research universities.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of pours

Verb

Rain chances are low — 10% to 25% — as the front drifts southward during the day.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026
Around me, hands reach up timidly and then with more confidence, and then they are accompanied by applause that drifts from one side of the room to the other and back.

— Sam Kestenbaum, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of drifts

Noun

Remember Popcorn Time, the app that served as an easy-to-use front end for streaming torrents of movies and TV shows?

— Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026
There was also a time when leadership halted, then resumed, downloading torrents sourced from Anna’s Archive, another staffer testified.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of torrents

Noun

Minor tidal overflows, especially during the late morning high tides.

— CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026
The governor’s office said the state was securing its harbors, deploying emergency personnel to strategic locations and monitoring dams for any possible breaches or overflows.

— Dennis Romero, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026