Definition of overflownext
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
3
as in to burst
to be copiously supplied a magazine that usually overflows with home-repair tips for the do-it-yourselfer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 overflow
Noun
Thursday night's meeting has been moved to a bigger location with an overflow room at 2121 South Union. — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 How levees work Levees are earthen embankments positioned parallel to a river that effectively raise the height of the banks of the river to prevent overflow when the river swells. — Kaleigh Yost, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
Both have a salad bar, a self-serve soup station, an overflowing bread basket, and a special (say tagliatelle with truffles, a roast Argentinian rib-eye, or a seafood buffet), which is the same on both floors. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026 South Florida roads and overflows sewage systems The National Weather Service in Miami concurs. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
  • The share price decline contrasts with the flood of capital pouring into humanoid robotics companies over the last 12 months or so.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • By Monday morning, waves began to crash and flood coastal areas.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The law allows national and state member banks to invest up to 20% of their capital and surplus in affordable housing, small business lending and community revitalization.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The recent closing of Hawthorne Race Course brought a surge in the number of surplus thoroughbreds.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In Edgewater, New Jersey, along the Hudson River, water had spilled into a large parking lot packed with cars.
    — Matthew Mulligan, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The disruptive ferry service was expected to also spill into Saturday.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Video released Wednesday morning captured the moments when a Kansas City Police Department detective and a Clay County Sheriff’s deputy rescued a man from a pickup truck that was engulfed in flames.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
  • His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the Islamic State insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years.
    — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In these moments, the actor bursts through his roles as the Spider does through Reilly, unleashing the Grand Guignol excess that is Nicolas Cage.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Two weeks after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, the Russian TV Channel One editor Marina Ovsyannikova burst onto the set of the evening newscast.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Such terrain is already conducive to flash flooding, sudden torrents that can sweep down canyons and other low-lying areas with little warning.
    — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision unleashed unlimited torrents of money into political campaigns, elections are now largely financed by big money donors and super PACs.
    — Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • An approach to hospitality in which elegance is expressed not through excess, but through the relevance of every gesture and the thought behind every choice.
    — Guy Bigiaoui, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Victorians adored houseplants and incorporated them into their interiors with gleeful maximalist excess.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Raw shell eggs were overfilled in an insert tray and measured 55 degrees.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • On the other hand, overfilling the drum can strain the motor and reduce cleaning efficiency.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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