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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overflows
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
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
Post updated to remove comparison to buffer overflows and SQL injections.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
What has the city done about the overflows?
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
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
The policy also reduces the chance of being seated next to a passenger who overflows into adjacent seats.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The football world overflows with thin-skinned, insecure coaches.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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
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
Post updated to remove comparison to buffer overflows and SQL injections.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
What has the city done about the overflows?
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
The policy also reduces the chance of being seated next to a passenger who overflows into adjacent seats.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The football world overflows with thin-skinned, insecure coaches.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflows
Noun
-
Resident Dave Levy said his basement continues to be ravaged by floods on and off over the past five years.—
Dave Savini,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
An ominous, inexplicable sound that floods dread into your every waking step, and that will eventually drive you to suicide or murder?—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 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
-
That spills over to his players.—
Kirk Bohls,
Houston Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Breakfast and dinner are served at Mosaico, an elegant space that spills into the courtyard in warmer months.—
Vicki Power,
TheWeek,
23 Mar. 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
-
Excessive rain caused torrents of water to wash out homes, damage roads, and threaten to burst a dam, sparking an emergency evacuation of thousands in Oahu on March 20.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Lightning made the sky as bright as day, the thunder was a continuous crash, and torrents of rain poured down.—
Doris DeCleene,
Outdoor Life,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Its proponents claim that the administrative burdens placed on everything from housing to energy infrastructure, once considered checks on the excesses of untrammeled capitalism, now serve primarily to impede progress.—
Gaby Del Valle,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Trump supporters are calling out his excesses, while suburban moms join ICE Watch groups.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Driven by the Gaza conflict and a deepening generational divide, Democratic sympathy for Palestinians now overwhelms support for Israel, threatening a historic partisan realignment.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Cuarón clearly understood that the more extravagant choices can only function in the periphery of a sturdy emotional anchor, an actor with the gravitas to communicate the exasperation that Liborio feels in a reality that overwhelms him.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The space buzzes with the energy of collective creativity and collaboration.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The air buzzes with light music and the sound of the espresso machine as Victoria Semerei, absorbed in a book, lounges in a chair.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overflows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflows. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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