Synonyms of levee

levee

noun

ˈle-vē 

1

as in dam

a bank of earth constructed to control water

the raging floodwaters were too much for the levee to handle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dam
• embankment
• canal
• dike
• rampart
• barrier
• ditch
• weir
• barricade
• lock
• head
• breakwater
• seawall
• channel
• jetty
• block
• gutter
• trough
• earthwork
• bulwark
• breastwork
• sluice
• barrage
• floodgate
• stank
• milldam

2

as in wharf

a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers

we tied the boat up at the levee and started unloading the fish we had caught

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wharf
• dock
• pier
• quay
• landing
• jetty
• float
• quai
• mooring
• marina
• shipyard
• berth
• wharfage
• embarcadero
• slip
• dockyard
• quayage

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of levee

Some residents argue the levee belongs to riverside property owners, while others say levee encroachments conflict with plans for the Sacramento River Parkway. — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026

But the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 shifted federal spending priorities toward national defense and power-generating dams, delaying flood-control measures such as levees designed to protect low-lying communities like Argentine. — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

The river has risen again and again, and in 1993, the Mississippi did not go over the levee, at first, but under it, burrowing a tunnel like a prisoner seeking freedom. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Maintaining urban wetlands can help reduce flooding, protect property and recharge groundwater more effectively and for less money than building and maintaining levees. — Eric Palkovacs, The Conversation, 25 June 2026