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

The failure of the New Orleans levees caused the city to flood, hitting poorer Black neighborhoods particularly hard. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Presidio is protected by a series of berms and levees built in the 1970s and 1980s along the Rio Grande and tributaries to combat flooding. — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026

The other is the data gap itself, with unreliable or incomplete records common across stormwater systems, levees, schools and other sectors. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

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