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
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
Human waste and trash overflows became so problematic at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California that the parks were forced to close, according to the association.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 7 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
This would prevent combined sewer overflows, which is when sewage floods area stormwater lines and deposits into local waterbodies.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
Since 1995, the sewerage district has invested more than $580 million in green infrastructure and flood management projects to improve the landscape's ability to hold onto water, minimizing overflows.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Wetlands protect homes, reduce sewer overflows and safeguard lives.
—Howard Learner, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
Hesse’s life experiences would make for a fascinating movie, even without charisma, but the fact that the 90-year-old overflows with the joy of being alive and unending passion for cinema makes the director’s job a lot easier.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
The rate adjustments over the past 20 years were meant to allow the utility to meet its requirements related to the sewer overflows, Block told the Board of Directors during a meeting last week.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
This book overflows with literary references and sailing knowledge.
—The Know, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
The system captures and diverts roughly 95% of the sewage overflows in the city, or about five billion gallons a year.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025
Why do sewer overflows keep happening?
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
Cape Town overflows with history and culture, from the colorful houses and Cape Malay heritage of Bo-Kaap to the solemn shores of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years in prison.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
Things take a turn for the worse when, in a moment viewers can't stop talking about all these weeks later, Mark uses the bathroom and the toilet overflows.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
Human waste and trash overflows became so problematic at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California that the parks were forced to close, according to the association.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 7 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
This would prevent combined sewer overflows, which is when sewage floods area stormwater lines and deposits into local waterbodies.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
Since 1995, the sewerage district has invested more than $580 million in green infrastructure and flood management projects to improve the landscape's ability to hold onto water, minimizing overflows.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Wetlands protect homes, reduce sewer overflows and safeguard lives.
—Howard Learner, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
Down overflows with ebullient confidence, whereas Kay is more anxious and cerebral.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
Hesse’s life experiences would make for a fascinating movie, even without charisma, but the fact that the 90-year-old overflows with the joy of being alive and unending passion for cinema makes the director’s job a lot easier.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
The rate adjustments over the past 20 years were meant to allow the utility to meet its requirements related to the sewer overflows, Block told the Board of Directors during a meeting last week.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
This book overflows with literary references and sailing knowledge.
—The Know, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
The system captures and diverts roughly 95% of the sewage overflows in the city, or about five billion gallons a year.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025
Why do sewer overflows keep happening?
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
Cape Town overflows with history and culture, from the colorful houses and Cape Malay heritage of Bo-Kaap to the solemn shores of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years in prison.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
Things take a turn for the worse when, in a moment viewers can't stop talking about all these weeks later, Mark uses the bathroom and the toilet overflows.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflows
Noun
-
Federal authorities from several offices also conducted rescues and life-saving efforts after floods in San Antonio, Texas, DHS said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Take the heat waves, droughts and floods that dogged a quarter of the European Union last summer.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But Connecticut has used those surpluses to build reserves and whittle down a considerable pension debt that still exceeds $33 billion, according to Lamont’s budget office.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The program ended in 1943 as the war drew to an end, and there were fewer surpluses.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Others, like pop star Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, go Instagram official only after a former Japanese prime minister spills the beans about their relationship by posting a photo with the pair.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Blot spills quickly, then treat fabric with dish soap + vinegar, rinsing and drying thoroughly.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The report alleges the scrape includes 256 million rows of track metadata and 86 million audio files, to be distributed on P2P networks in bulk torrents totaling roughly 300 terabytes.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Officials have conducted dozens of water rescues as debris and mudslides have closed highways and raging torrents have washed out roads and bridges.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
In these respects, apart from the harlequin excesses of his Stalinism, Cowley is terrifically sound.—
Vince Passaro,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Robert's Western World 416 Broadway, Suite B Known for showcasing real country music since 1992 and unapologetically shrugging off the excesses of downtown, this iconic Nashville haunt remains the best of Broadway.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Over such spans, change overwhelms continuity; too much simply disappears.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
This figure motivates Butrich but also overwhelms her.—
Sabrina Weiss,
The Dial,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lean too hard, exceed a set speed threshold, or approach a hazard, and the seat buzzes to alert you.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Moments later, her phone buzzes with an alert.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overflows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflows. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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