levees

Definition of leveesnext
plural of levee
1
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

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 levees January is breeding season for the invasive snakes in Florida, and the species is known to congregate in breeding balls on elevated levees and tree islands. Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026 Now, though levees may not exactly be back, royal affectations and the disputes that go with them are. Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026 Since then, there have been major improvements in modernizing the levees and flood risk management. Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026 The idea was to reconnect the community to the river after it was cut off when the earthen levees were built following the 1949 flood. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Jan. 2026 Some levees are inspected regularly. Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025 Boxed in by the two rivers, Marysville resembles an island of sorts, surrounded by a ring of levees. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for levees
Noun
  • Common issues like ice dams, leaks, and clogs can all be avoided with preventative gutter maintenance.
    Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The situation is not all that different from that along the Mississippi, Missouri or Tennessee rivers, where a series of dams controls water flow.
    Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The infrastructure humans build in the water ‒ houses, piers, wharves, jetties, and even oil rigs ‒ create new habitats for juvenile jellyfish, called polyps, to attach and grow, Bologna said.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Maybe wind your way around the neighborhood’s old wharfs and small brick houses; or lock up your bike and check out an exhibition at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, then grab lunch at the kitschy crab shack Brooklyn Crab.
    Francesca Carington, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Jan. 2024
Noun
  • Decades ago, farmers built simple earthen embankments to protect their fields and livestock from seasonal flooding.
    Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
  • In Prague, large concrete blocks have been placed along popular embankments and around key foot-traffic areas, while police have increased patrols to monitor potential targets.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 6 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Operating at the Lower Manhattan docks, Melville’s task was to examine ship manifests against unloaded cargo.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Alongside the retail building would be 837 parking spaces and seven loading docks, according to Amazon’s application.
    Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The substructure, or the portion that supports the deck where piers and abutments are located, is also in fair condition.
    Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Stay off of jetties, piers, rocks, and other waterside infrastructure.
    Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • 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.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 8 Dec. 2025
  • Seaports will have nearby seabed dredged and quays constructed to accommodate naval and transport vessels.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Levees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/levees. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.

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