1
as in floods
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 surpluses
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 spills
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 engulfs
to cover with a flood
the swollen river overflowed the surrounding land and washed several houses away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overflows
Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 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
The overflows have triggered a number of recreational and shellfish harvesting advisories along the Potomac.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 22 Feb. 2026
During a raucous and at times contentious meeting that lasted more than three hours, residents said the facility would damage drinking water quality, and harm the environment, frequently citing concerns about both potential flooding and overflows and about the ongoing drought.
—Liz Teitz, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Feb. 2026
As a result, sewage blockages and overflows became widespread, increasing the risk of wastewater contaminating drinking water sources and heightening the likelihood of outbreaks of diarrhea, hepatitis A and other waterborne diseases in an already vulnerable community.
—Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
However, long-term problems persist as completely eliminating overflows will take decades, according to officials.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
The buildup can also clog sewage systems, leading to overflows that send raw sewage into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Officials at the Water Reclamation Authority are pursuing new goals after the utility was officially released last year from a pair of longstanding legal agreements that required the utility to address sewer overflows, leading to major investments across the system.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2026
In urban areas, the conditions also heighten the risk of combined sewer overflows, when stormwater mixes with untreated sewage, said Allison Fore, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
—Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Baltimore’s efforts are reducing sewer overflows but take time and must be balanced with cost, according to city’s Department of Public Works.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
The City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management is building an underground vault with a park on top to improve stormwater management, enhance drainage, and decrease flooding and sewer overflows that have historically impacted the area.
—Drew Kann, AJC.com, 28 Feb. 2026
The City maintains reimbursement programs for certain wet-weather sanitary sewer overflows; however, eligibility is governed by specific criteria.
—Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Fixing those backups is expensive, and sometimes clogging can cause sewage overflows into streets, yards, rivers and lakes.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Gussie Maguire, a Maryland staff scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, told The Hill that sewage overflows are more common than many may realize.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
The villain, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, overflows with humanity, too.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Noun
That can allow attackers to leverage serious vulnerabilities like buffer overflows and memory leaks to compromise devices.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 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
The overflows have triggered a number of recreational and shellfish harvesting advisories along the Potomac.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 22 Feb. 2026
During a raucous and at times contentious meeting that lasted more than three hours, residents said the facility would damage drinking water quality, and harm the environment, frequently citing concerns about both potential flooding and overflows and about the ongoing drought.
—Liz Teitz, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Feb. 2026
As a result, sewage blockages and overflows became widespread, increasing the risk of wastewater contaminating drinking water sources and heightening the likelihood of outbreaks of diarrhea, hepatitis A and other waterborne diseases in an already vulnerable community.
—Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
However, long-term problems persist as completely eliminating overflows will take decades, according to officials.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
The buildup can also clog sewage systems, leading to overflows that send raw sewage into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Officials at the Water Reclamation Authority are pursuing new goals after the utility was officially released last year from a pair of longstanding legal agreements that required the utility to address sewer overflows, leading to major investments across the system.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
During this time of year, the area overflows with purples, golds, and greens, with plenty of family-friendly parades on the schedule—and lots of king cake to go around.
—Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2026
In urban areas, the conditions also heighten the risk of combined sewer overflows, when stormwater mixes with untreated sewage, said Allison Fore, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
—Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Baltimore’s efforts are reducing sewer overflows but take time and must be balanced with cost, according to city’s Department of Public Works.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
The City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management is building an underground vault with a park on top to improve stormwater management, enhance drainage, and decrease flooding and sewer overflows that have historically impacted the area.
—Drew Kann, AJC.com, 28 Feb. 2026
The City maintains reimbursement programs for certain wet-weather sanitary sewer overflows; however, eligibility is governed by specific criteria.
—Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Fixing those backups is expensive, and sometimes clogging can cause sewage overflows into streets, yards, rivers and lakes.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Gussie Maguire, a Maryland staff scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, told The Hill that sewage overflows are more common than many may realize.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
The villain, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, overflows with humanity, too.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflows
Noun
-
When a lot of rain falls very quickly, the ground can’t soak up the water—leading to floods.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Typhoon Sinlaku triggered floods, tore off roofs and overturned cars on Saipan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ritter’s proposal came several hours before the legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal office projected an operating deficit of nearly $30 million in the state’s general fund — a sharp contrast from the booming surpluses of the past seven years.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Over the course of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s term, CPS has lurched from budget crisis to budget crisis, able only to muddle through due to record-breaking mayoral declarations of tax-increment-financing surpluses.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The most dramatic thing that happens is that someone spills some tea.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The Financial Times stepped inside the home of Rirkrit Tiravanija on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, where lush greenery spills through expansive windows and creeps into the interior itself.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts.—
,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Once a cushioned conduit to the other side, the casket now bursts with the wisdom of a life lived outside the box.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Even moderate rainfall can quickly transform these waterways into destructive torrents that overflow into nearby townships, including Friendswood and League City.—
Dominic Boyer,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Wandering through the wash, the mind drifts not to the film but to the flash floods that move through this channel after heavy rains, sudden torrents cutting and reshaping the valley floor in a matter of hours.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
How war became inevitable Yet Netanyahu shows no concern for how Israel’s excesses are fueling antisemitism in what has been Israel’s only dependable ally.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Much like the idea of therapy as corporate espionage, the government procurement process is a counterintuitive way into examining the excesses of tech culture.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Krasnoff, for her part, is watching to see whether the pageantry of the World Cup eventually overwhelms the political noise.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
There aren’t any magic words that will dissuade someone from pursuing a self-destructive path, and there’s no telling whose words mattered most to Robby today, tomorrow, or whenever the darkness overwhelms him.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Joe is lording over his fiefdom from his den, designed in perfect Don Corleone-chic decor, when his fax machine buzzes to life.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Liz’s Where Y’at Diner Downhome cooking takes center stage at Liz’s Where Y’at Diner, where owner Liz Munson buzzes between tables and greets customers with a smile and a hug.—
Amanda Ogle,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overflows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflows. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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