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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overflow
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
The October 22 legislative hearing drew a large turnout of speakers, necessitating an overflow room.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2025
Hesse’s life experiences would make for a fascinating movie, even without charisma, but the fact that the 90-year-old overflows with the joy of being alive and unending passion for cinema makes the director’s job a lot easier.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Noun
Both the 350-person main sanctuary and 60-person overflow room were filled at the church, a few blocks from where the collision killed Andrew Olsen and injured his two siblings in the Lake Murray area of San Diego Monday morning.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
The October 22 legislative hearing drew a large turnout of speakers, necessitating an overflow room.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
The profile of this shoe is one that feels inherently familiar, but childlike playfulness is also secured vis-à-vis the fluffy sheepskin that seems to overflow from its color-happy laces.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2025
Hesse’s life experiences would make for a fascinating movie, even without charisma, but the fact that the 90-year-old overflows with the joy of being alive and unending passion for cinema makes the director’s job a lot easier.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
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But, locally, even a temporary closure of CalFresh will push a flood of hungry people toward free food providers, a countywide network of roughly 600 food pantries and food banks.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
26 Oct. 2025
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This could trigger life-threatening floods and landslides, especially in regions that are recovering from prior storms.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Due to Boston's surplus of talented outfielders under contract, the team has no shortage of options to choose from for who will be in the outfield next season.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Several governors have declared states of emergency so surplus and emergency funds can be used to help food banks or SNAP recipients directly.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But in stoppage time, Miami was gifted a third goal when Jordi Alba crossed from the left and keeper Willis, colliding with defender Walker Zimmerman, spilled the ball right to Messi, who had the simplest of tap-ins.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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The White House warned that Americans should expect airport delays and disruptions if the shutdown spills into the Thanksgiving holiday, when travel historically spikes.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Members of Congress wrote to NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Friday, asking him to provide a briefing by October 31 relating to the gambling scandal that engulfed the league earlier this week.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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Within seconds, intense flames engulfed the entire body of the electric minivan, leaving only a charred frame behind.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Messi picked up the ball from his compatriot Rodrigo De Paul in midfield and burst toward the backpedaling Nashville back line before slipping the ball outside to Luis Suárez.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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The areas facing the sun heat up fastest, and if there is a weaker area on the surface of the comet, sublimated gases under the surface can burst through — causing these sun-facing jets.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 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
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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
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During winter months when water demand is low, the city would have to store the excess in either a reservoir or some kind of storage basin.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
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Millions remain far from liberated from economic pressure, and few of us feel burdened by an excess of free time.—
Arianna Huffington,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Grill them about the perils of overfilling the spool.—
The Editors,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
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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 2 Nov. 2025.
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