1
as in dams
a bank of earth constructed to control water
the raging floodwaters were too much for the levee to handle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in wharves
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of levees
In his view, its role is merely to maintain the levees for flood protection.
—
Alula Alderson,
Sacbee.com,
30 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
Been there as communities have tried to tame the mighty waters with levees and embankments, and battled 100-pound invasive fish.
—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
These are fast disappearing, however, as humans drain them for development, dredge canals in them for the oil and gas industry and construct river levees, depriving them of the sediments that stop them being submerged.
—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
25 May 2026
The Stillaguamish Tribe has been buying riverfront land in its traditional territory and removing levees to turn farmland into wetland with the hope of restoring Chinook.
—
John Ryan,
NPR,
3 May 2026
Constructing protective structures such as levees and dikes can help, as can preserving natural landscapes, such as wetlands and estuaries that can act as a natural sponge to absorb floodwaters, in and near the cities, Shao and her colleagues wrote.
—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
Declines in groundwater levels have in recent years caused household wells to sputter and run dry, streams and wetlands to dry up, and land to sink, damaging canals and levees.
—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Alula Alderson,
Sacbee.com,
30 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
Been there as communities have tried to tame the mighty waters with levees and embankments, and battled 100-pound invasive fish.
—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
These are fast disappearing, however, as humans drain them for development, dredge canals in them for the oil and gas industry and construct river levees, depriving them of the sediments that stop them being submerged.
—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
25 May 2026
The Stillaguamish Tribe has been buying riverfront land in its traditional territory and removing levees to turn farmland into wetland with the hope of restoring Chinook.
—
John Ryan,
NPR,
3 May 2026
Constructing protective structures such as levees and dikes can help, as can preserving natural landscapes, such as wetlands and estuaries that can act as a natural sponge to absorb floodwaters, in and near the cities, Shao and her colleagues wrote.
—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
Declines in groundwater levels have in recent years caused household wells to sputter and run dry, streams and wetlands to dry up, and land to sink, damaging canals and levees.
—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for levees
Noun
-
Manipulating the timing of releases from dams on the western rivers could flood Pakistani farmland during planting seasons, while withholding water during critical irrigation windows could devastate harvests.
-
Then April's record rainfall created more runoff than waterways, dams and culverts could handle.
Noun
-
In San Isidro, a movement was born Castillo and Otero grew up in San Isidro, a working class, hardscrabble neighborhood abutting the wharfs near the Port of Havana, and became friends – one a rapper, the other a visual artist.
-
The wharves and warehouses along Pratt Street burned fiercely.
Noun
-
Riding mowers are not designed for wet conditions and are more likely to roll on embankments.
-
Been there as communities have tried to tame the mighty waters with levees and embankments, and battled 100-pound invasive fish.
Noun
-
The development includes boat access, docks and community gathering spaces.
-
That is the piece that could change how loading docks operate.
Noun
-
Sail4th 250 kicks off Friday, featuring 40 vessels representing 40 nations sailing from the Verrazzano Bridge all the way north to the George Washington Bridge and docking at piers on 15 miles of waterfront across the city.
-
Spend time kayaking through salt marshes, fishing from ocean piers or on a deep sea charter, touring lighthouses like Old Baldy Lighthouse, birding, sampling local seafood, and visiting historic seaside fishing villages like Southport.
Noun
-
Wine is embedded in the city’s architecture, history and daily life, from grand 18th-century façades to the bustling quays of the Garonne.
-
According to Vantor, the image shows the construction of a dry dock and new quays and piers at one of China’s most strategically important bases.
Cite this Entry
“Levees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/levees. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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