1
as in flood
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms
a great overflow of water from the heavy rains swept mud and silt down onto the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
an overflow of help actually made the job more complicated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to flood
to flow over the brim or top of
while the wine steward stood there gawking at the nearby celebrity, my expensive champagne was overflowing its glass and pouring onto our table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to engulf
to cover with a flood
the swollen river overflowed the surrounding land and washed several houses away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overflow
Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2025
Officials at the Water Reclamation Authority are pursuing new goals after the utility was officially released last year from a pair of longstanding legal agreements that required the utility to address sewer overflows, leading to major investments across the system.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Prisoners tend to use more due to flushing various items and, often, intentionally plugging toilets and overflowing them, according to industry publication Correctional News.
—Penny Weaver, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Noun
Once impressive shows — such as an afternoon set at the 2024 Jackalope Jamboree in Pendleton, Oregon, to an overflow crowd — became routine.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2025
Officials at the Water Reclamation Authority are pursuing new goals after the utility was officially released last year from a pair of longstanding legal agreements that required the utility to address sewer overflows, leading to major investments across the system.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
Furloughed staff have led to uncollected trash, overflowing toilets, and other hazards in national parks.
—Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Prisoners tend to use more due to flushing various items and, often, intentionally plugging toilets and overflowing them, according to industry publication Correctional News.
—Penny Weaver, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
-
Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
-
During a flood-the-zone presidency, this seems like a sound strategy.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
John Kmiec, director of Tucson Water, said Tucson’s aggressive conservation programs have made that kind of surplus possible.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The Royals currently have a surplus of starters returning next season.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In September, Nevada’s Bureau of Water Pollution Control fined the company nearly $250,000 for violating environmental regulations nearly 800 times in the last two years, including for spilling untreated groundwater onto public roads and not reporting it to authorities, ProPublica first reported.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
After passing through a gate, the trail scrambles up the backside of Chicken Point, a broad open expanse of slickrock surrounded by abrupt colorful cliffs with views spilling across the valley.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As Bryant explains, ageing stars can efficiently engulf their close-orbiting planets due to a gravitational tug-of-war called tidal interaction.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Burke’s character died in Fire Country season 3 In the season 3 finale, Vince, Bode and Sharon rushed to save Vince's father, Walter (Jeff Fahey), whose care facility was engulfed in flames.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
While the football program, which will move up to Class 5A for the next two-year cycle that starts in 2026, has established itself as a perennial playoff team under Startzer, other Nighthawks programs have also burst onto the scene.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Hagan’s initial shot on a corner was deflected to the left wing, and Cusack bursted to the loose ball to flick it in.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In the unending torrent of police corruption in Massachusetts, here’s a bit of good news.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
But if so, that original dream did not last long in the face of the torrent of money that soon started flooding his way.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The process could, in fact, help rectify that excess of grapes, causing supply to eventually even out with demand.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Unless the category could be brought under control, the excess threatened to self-propagate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Grill them about the perils of overfilling the spool.—
The Editors,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The consensus seemed to be that the rains that arrived on Monday, which didn’t seem as strong or frequent as the weekend storms, wouldn’t overfill the river.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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