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

Multiple levee breaches inundated the entire Lower Ninth Ward during the storm, killing many and damaging or destroying thousands of homes. — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 29 June 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

Another time, Healy visited New Orleans to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and the experience sent him down a path of studying the political reasons why the city’s levees hadn’t been replaced. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 18 June 2026

Many residents who live near the project are concerned over a big increase in traffic, especially along the Garden Highway, which is a narrow, two-lane levee road. — James Taylor, CBS News, 17 June 2026