1
as in teeming
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1
as in spilling
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flooding
to cover with a flood
the swollen river overflowed the surrounding land and washed several houses away
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bursting
to be copiously supplied
a magazine that usually overflows with home-repair tips for the do-it-yourselfer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overflowing
Ben Pickman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
The more unexpected takeaway was the show's graphic depiction of an overflowing toilet as the climax of the episode, which was set on Thanksgiving Day.
—Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
In the suburban village of Wauwatosa, an overflowing and fast-moving Menomonee River submerged a popular playground.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Jermont Terry, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
The last few years have been overflowing with it.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
In 2013, my husband Dave and I hauled a beat-up, fire-engine-red suitcase overflowing with sheet masks, toners, snail creams, and pimple patches to the Hester Street Fair, a weekend market in the Lower East Side.
—Charlotte Cho, Allure, 3 Jan. 2026
While a showgirl’s closet might be overflowing with feathers, bustiers, and sequins galore, Taylor Swift’s actual wardrobe is much more practical.
—Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Build a Go-To Cleaning Caddy Skip the overflowing cleaning cabinet this year and opt for Parfan’s hack of creating a cleaning caddy with just the staples.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
And, this keeps dishes from overflowing in your sink!
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Set a specific time each day to tidy up; this will prevent your clothes chair from overflowing.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
Enthusiasm about artificial intelligence and the companies that produce AI services has been overflowing for months.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
So there Wilson went toward the overflowing Aces’ bench.
—Ben Pickman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
The more unexpected takeaway was the show's graphic depiction of an overflowing toilet as the climax of the episode, which was set on Thanksgiving Day.
—Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
In the suburban village of Wauwatosa, an overflowing and fast-moving Menomonee River submerged a popular playground.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Along Cermak Road between Wentworth and Clark, the leftover food and overflowing garbage all spill outside tents at a homeless encampment.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
The last few years have been overflowing with it.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
In 2013, my husband Dave and I hauled a beat-up, fire-engine-red suitcase overflowing with sheet masks, toners, snail creams, and pimple patches to the Hester Street Fair, a weekend market in the Lower East Side.
—Charlotte Cho, Allure, 3 Jan. 2026
While a showgirl’s closet might be overflowing with feathers, bustiers, and sequins galore, Taylor Swift’s actual wardrobe is much more practical.
—Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Build a Go-To Cleaning Caddy Skip the overflowing cleaning cabinet this year and opt for Parfan’s hack of creating a cleaning caddy with just the staples.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
And, this keeps dishes from overflowing in your sink!
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Set a specific time each day to tidy up; this will prevent your clothes chair from overflowing.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
Enthusiasm about artificial intelligence and the companies that produce AI services has been overflowing for months.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflowing
Adjective
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But an overloaded dryer can't do that, and regular overloading will actually knock the sensors out of commission entirely.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
-
An overloaded dryer leads to lessened airflow and, therefore, extended dry time.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Older students sat in the balcony, with other, younger ones spilling over to sit on stage for lack of open seating.—
David Wilson,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Its abandonment, with powder canisters spilling across the rock, suggested that its owner left in haste.—
Henry Wismayer,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Beijing will keep trying to export its way out, flooding global markets—an approach that most trading partners may absorb this year but won’t tolerate forever.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
-
An old rusted pipe had burst in an area where many people lived in makeshift homes; water gushed out, flooding their homes.—
Saumya Roy,
The Dial,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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First responders in Atlanta rushed to an airport runway Tuesday after an aircraft experienced a harrowing landing failure, with all eight of its landing tires bursting the moment the plane touched down, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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And Johnson can’t erase the imagery of poor Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham, a top-5 pick, bursting through the B-gap at the snap only to be crushed by guard Jonah Jackson.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Wearing a well-fitting, high-quality mask in crowded indoor spaces also can reduce the risk of contracting respiratory infections or spreading your illness to others.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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With wintry weather and crowded airports, Thanksgiving travel can already be stressful.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Firms that had stayed disciplined during the post-pandemic liquidity rush — holding back from inflated valuations and cheap leverage — are the ones outperforming, according to Bae.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
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Stocks fell Tuesday after Wall Street sounded the alarm about a market selloff amid growing concerns over inflated tech valuations.—
Tasneem Nashrulla,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As for the after-show, the highlight (other than Jawan overfilling his champagne glass) had to be Jeff listing all the idols and advantages that were played incorrectly or unnecessarily.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
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Grill them about the perils of overfilling the spool.—
The Editors,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Images circulating on social media show a massive fire engulfing the Waldo's store.—
NPR,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
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Israel’s self-defense policies risk engulfing the region in turmoil and harming the country’s stability.—
Yossi Shelley,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overflowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflowing. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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