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
  • The arid landscape is creased with rugged mountain ranges, cleaved by scenic canyons and filled with vast stretches of open space interrupted by midsize cities and small towns that spring like oases from the desert floor.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • When the sun goes down, the wind picks up in central New Mexico, whipping through arid canyons with a ghostly howl that for centuries, locals have likened to the wails of the folkloric ghost La Llorona.
    — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of canyons
Noun
  • Sites is planned 17 miles west of the river itself, and will draw water through a system of canals and pipes to fill the reservoir.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • To prepare, cities have deployed an arsenal of weapons against the floods, including sandbags, water pumps, sand berms and drainage canals.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 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
  • 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
  • Cliffs teeter at 1,640 feet, before tumbling down in a flurry of vineyards and walking trails to the rushing rivers and gorges of Sil and Miño.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of gorges
Noun
  • Along the edge of the fantastically thin solar crescent, the brilliant orange points known as Baily’s Beads flash and disappear—the last fragments of photospheric light visible through deep lunar valleys.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The project area is located in the San Gabriel Mountains, within the Transverse Ranges geomorphic province, which is characterized by a complex series of mountain ranges and valleys with dominant east–west trends.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 5 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 7 Nov. 2026.

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