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
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
And in places where sewage and rain flow through the same pipes, heavy rains made worse by climate change can make overflows to waterways more frequent and severe.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
The series will show Sac State’s sparkling new Pavilion inside the Well, which regularly overflowed with crowds of 3,000 in setting program attendance records.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Noun
Randall Snare, United States, 2026, WORLD PREMIERE The comments on a reluctant influencer’s first viral dance video overflow with people claiming to lose their bodies after watching it.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
And in places where sewage and rain flow through the same pipes, heavy rains made worse by climate change can make overflows to waterways more frequent and severe.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
No single line embodies both the overflowing kindness and fierce competence of small-town Brainerd's chief of police, Marge Gunderson.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
The series will show Sac State’s sparkling new Pavilion inside the Well, which regularly overflowed with crowds of 3,000 in setting program attendance records.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
-
The result has been a flood of habeas-corpus petitions filed in federal courts—more than fifteen thousand in the past two months alone.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Anyone could claim a violation and sue a city, an invitation to a flood of frivolous lawsuits.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Netflix was sitting on a surplus of As Ever products, including tea and baking mixes, totaling more than $10 million in value (so much so that the company started giving inventory to employees for free, putting the goods on card tables in various office buildings.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Going away for 24 hours or 24 weeks These days the savviest travelers have either a surplus of time (the ultimate luxury) or none at all.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The infinity pool is practically on top of the shoreline, creating that Instagram-worthy effect where the water appears to spill directly into the bay.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Hundreds of people were dispersed and two parents were arrested after an out-of-control Rancho Santa Fe house party spilled into the street Saturday night, sheriff’s officials said.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Recently, video footage could be seen of at least two oil tankers in the strait engulfed in flames as the result of an attack.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Riverside firefighters battled a large fire at a pallet yard on Monday afternoon, which quickly engulfed dozens of wooden pallets and spread to a field of vegetation as flames were fueled by strong winds and intense temperatures in the area.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Few cities are as bursting with history, from the medieval streets of its Old Town to the spacious boulevards of its 18th-century New Town.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
-
With four attacking players on the pitch, Bernardo Silva and Rodri were left exposed in the centre, as were a back four who could not cope once Madrid burst through midfield.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps it was lost in the Christmastime shuffle, or in the torrent of other deals and investments that have been flowing from the world’s most valuable company over the past year.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Most disappointing has been the torrent of negative reaction from engagement-farmers, emotional Bryant fans and others who seem to be looking to be outraged.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ellison acquired Weiss’s the Free Press, a centrist digital news site that often targets excesses of the political left and is staunchly pro-Israel.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Stomach-turning excesses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have turned many Americans’ abstract political preference into something uncomfortably concrete.—
George F. Will,
Washington Post,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Also, be careful not to overfill a trash can, which can lead to bags breaking.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Children are not cars whose gas tanks can simply be carelessly overfilled.—
Lauren Arikan,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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