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overflow

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verb

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
Dozens more are expected to watch proceedings in an overflow room set up at the court. Reuters, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2025 And in warehousing, Prologis has already seen a stockpiling of inventory levels and a search for overflow space, with one prominent customer increasing their warehouse utilization from 83 percent to over 90 percent. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
But the fear has also spread to other markets such as Thailand and Vietnam, where social media platforms are overflowing with posts and videos warning people to think twice before traveling to Japan. Chris Lau, CNN Money, 19 May 2025 Heavy rain hit Pennsylvania down to North Carolina on Tuesday, causing rivers and creeks to overflow, turning streets into rivers, and toppling trees that blocked traffic in the Washington D.C. area. Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
  • The National Weather Service in Fort Worth issued a flood warning in several North Texas counties, including Tarrant County, beginning Monday evening through Tuesday morning, when 1 to 3 inches of rain is forecast.
    Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 May 2025
  • The tsunami wave from an anticipated earthquake off the West Coast reach 100 feet and permanently flood parts of the coast.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 25 May 2025
Noun
  • New movies and series are added to Apple TV Plus every Wednesday and Friday, ad-free, and in surplus.
    Alexander Cox, Space.com, 26 May 2025
  • Connecticut has funneled $12.5 billion in surpluses since 2017 to build reserves and scale back pension debt, a furious pace that far outstrips any similar effort in modern history.
    Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • Ellie doesn’t know that Joel killed Abby’s father until she’s already spilled a small army’s worth of blood in retaliation.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
  • Photo : Rafael Soldi The primary bedroom spills onto a private balcony.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed gray and orange smoke billowing upwards, engulfing buildings in an industrial park.
    Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
  • During his interview with Piers Morgan, Tapper compared the scale of the events to Watergate, the scandal that engulfed former President Richard Nixon in the 1970s.
    Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • Broadcast integrations included Stitch bursting onto the sets of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and SportsCenter.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 25 May 2025
  • The appendix can burst within 24 hours or less of symptoms starting.
    Brandi Jones, Health, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • This newfound freedom could unlock a torrent of human potential: Innovation and creativity: With basic needs met, individuals would be free to pursue education, engage in creative endeavors, or launch entrepreneurial ventures that could benefit society in unforeseen ways.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
  • English-language creators have also puked out a torrent of AI musical erotica, but nothing that plays on a piece of cultural heritage that’s been memed to oblivion as much as A Midsummer Night’s Lewd Dream.
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • Read More: Lee Jae-myung Aims to Steer South Korea Through Crisis A populist shaped by his years as a labor and human rights lawyer, Lee has long advocated for a stronger state role in redistributing economic gains and curbing the excesses of South Korea’s powerful conglomerates.
    Ian Bremmer, Time, 3 June 2025
  • But the soft power derived from American culture will not survive the excesses of the U.S. government during the next four years if American democracy continues to erode and the country acts as a bully abroad.
    Robert O. Keohane, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • They had been rather carelessly overfilled and half an inch of gas sloshed on top of the barrels.
    Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 1 May 2025
  • The Patriots seemingly overfilled their roster after making 11 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft and remaining busy during the undrafted free-agent signing period.
    Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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