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
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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
Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025
To adhere it onto the overflow drain, run warm water against the suction cup side and press it firmly against the tub.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Aug. 2025
Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
Memorabilia Southerners love our momentos and heirlooms—sometimes to the point where our homes are overflowing with them.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Noun
People filled the council chambers, the overflow rooms and outside spaces.
—Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025
To adhere it onto the overflow drain, run warm water against the suction cup side and press it firmly against the tub.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
For all the changes, Brilliant Lady remains unabashedly a Virgin Voyages ship, one that seems to overflow with bars and music venues.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
Memorabilia Southerners love our momentos and heirlooms—sometimes to the point where our homes are overflowing with them.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
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Data centers, large facilities that house floods of computing systems to enable remote delivery of various IT services, have seen huge demand in recent years amid a global rush to develop powerful new AI systems, such as OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT chatbot.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Coastal flood advisories were issued, including a flood warning for Annapolis, where flooding is expected in the low-lying historic community.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Instead of using this surplus to provide tax relief that could improve affordability, lawmakers are actively pursuing policies that will drive costs higher.—
Chip Monaco,
Oc Register,
1 Sep. 2025
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But once the property is declared surplus, state law requires the city to prioritize affordable housing on the land and to negotiate with interested developers in good faith.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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After it was determined that no chemicals had spilled and that there was not an immediate danger to the public, crews followed standard procedures to clear the wreck, Hopkins said.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
28 Aug. 2025
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In 2014, Irsay’s addiction again spilled into the public spotlight when he was arrested for driving while intoxicated after police pulled him over and found dozens of pills strewn about his vehicle.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Within seconds, Thomas was engulfed in flames.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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Indonesia’s top filmmakers, producers and actors have expressed their anger over the rider’s death and wider injustice on social media, as protests engulf several Indonesian cities, including Jakarta and Surabaya.—
Sara Merican,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The capacitor in the pressure washer can overheat and burst, potentially ejecting parts and posing a serious injury risk to the user or bystanders due to impact, according to the post.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
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The movie is a tour de force In IMAX, the format’s large screen and huge sound a perfect partner for the purple one’s charisma, which positively bursts off the screen.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Eight hours of work yield only eight hours of data, a trickle against the torrent that powered language models.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Aug. 2025
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The fashion statement of the rangy frontman served a more practical purpose when three-fourths through the two-hour show, a torrent of wind whipped through the stadium, bringing with it a chilly downpour that would last the duration of the concert.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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High rollers are trading the once-glamorous epicenters of excess for local sports bars, crowd-roaring stadiums, grocery lines and even their couches at home—everywhere can be a roulette table when the casino is in your pocket.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
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For most healthy adults, exceeding protein needs does not usually cause major issues, but long-term excess may carry risks.—
Karen Berger,
Verywell Health,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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By law, the sewerage district can't overfill the Deep Tunnel, so by early Sunday morning, the district had to initiate a rare sanitary sewer overflow.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Just be sure to wash towels according to color and never overfill the machine.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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