flumes

noun

plural of flume
1
as in canyons
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage hiked through the flume and into the meadow beyond it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in canals
an open man-made passageway for water built a flume next to the road for runoff

Synonyms & Similar 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 flumes Raft along 670 feet of tunnels and flumes on the Big Daddy Falls, and spin down funnels and fly up walls on the Colossal Curl. — Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2026 Dial down the intensity on a plethora of moderate and mild flumes. — Alicia Underlee Nelson, Midwest Living, 15 July 2026 Powerful water jets propel the inner tubes up flumes and around the park giving spectacular views of the ocean. — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flumes
  1. canyons
  2. canals
  3. ravines
  4. aqueducts
  5. gorges
  6. valleys
Noun
  • Its sparsely populated landscape of desert, mountains and river canyons has historically recorded fewer migrant apprehensions than other parts of the southern border.
    — Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The visitor favorite, the Canyon Loop Trail, is an accessible, easy-to-moderate, two-and-a-half-mile walk that loops around its nine canyons.
    — Judith Garrison, AJC.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of canyons
Noun
  • That work includes clearing debris and cutting back overgrown vegetation along canals and sloughs to help keep stormwater flowing.
    — Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Today, few survive in Xochimilco’s polluted canals; most live in captivity.
    — Reif Larsen, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of canals
Noun
  • This 150-acre Clayton County preserve sits near shopping centers and busy roads, but its trails wind through woodlands, ravines and ponds that feel worlds away from metro Atlanta.
    — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Many more were imperiled by muddy water racing through the narrow ravines, sparking frantic rescue missions for dozens.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ravines
Noun
  • The update approved Thursday sets rules for the Sacramento River and the rest of the Delta, where pumps operated by state and federal agencies send water flowing in aqueducts to farms and cities.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Since 2003, the city has used its excess Colorado River water, which flows to the city through a 326-mile network of aqueducts, to recharge the Avra Valley aquifer.
    — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of aqueducts
Noun
  • For years, a leopard roamed the high mountain ridges and deep gorges in the sparsely populated region of southern Armenia.
    — Eric Niiler, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The Ivy League college where fraternities throw parties in towering mansions and students weave between deep gorges on their way to class is being rocked over the handling of rape allegations from 2024.
    — Grey Battle, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of gorges
Noun
  • If successful, the work could help future missions explore areas that are difficult for conventional rovers to reach, including deep valleys and underground environments.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Across the West, the outlook favors snow in the Rocky Mountains and at higher elevations in California, while depicting valleys and lower-lying areas as less certain.
    — Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of valleys

Browse Nearby Words

flume
flumes
flummox
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Cite this Entry

“Flumes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flumes. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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