OVERFLOWS Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

overflows 1 of 2

noun

plural of overflow

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

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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

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overflows

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of overflow

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

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recedes

as in engulfs

to cover with a flood the swollen river overflowed the surrounding land and washed several houses away

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as in bursts

to be copiously supplied a magazine that usually overflows with home-repair tips for the do-it-yourselfer

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of overflows

Noun

Weeks after overflows from Atlanta’s sewer tunnels contributed to the deaths of thousands of fish on the Chattahoochee River, the city’s Department of Watershed Management says its investigating another fish kill on a different river. — Drew Kann, AJC.com, 1 July 2026 As Connecticut’s climate changes, more frequent and intense storms have lead to more overflows. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026 The contamination, according to the organization, is often caused by sewage overflows, waste from large-scale farming, and urban runoff. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2026 Researchers believe periodic flooding and river overflows helped preserve the eggs by covering them in sediment millions of years ago. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026 As long as the 83/17 split remains in place, protecting local waterways from combined sewer overflows will continue to exacerbate the water affordability crisis in Detroit. — Nicole Van Lier, The Conversation, 13 May 2026 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

Verb

The situation overflows with potential conflicts of interest. — Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Those who have lived in Pittsburgh for years have witnessed incidents, including oil spills and sewage overflows, that invite skepticism about river safety. — Daniel Bain, The Conversation, 22 June 2026 The background jar stands alone, while the piece in the foreground overflows with a rainbow of plants, flowers, fruit, chamoy candies, gummies and a single real butterfly. — Stephanie Shih june 17, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026 Our deals page overflows with offers. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 June 2026 Fuchsia ‘Cascade’ overflows from containers with hanging blooms from early summer to fall. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 5 June 2026 The roster overflows with talent, maybe enough to place it on the precipice of a dynasty. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 27 May 2026 On a holy holiday, the Muslim Community Center of Chicago overflows with the faithful. — Noel Brennan, CBS News, 27 May 2026 Social Circle says the detention center would place undue strain on the city's already limited water and sewage capacity, and could lead to water shortages and sewage overflows for its residents. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 14 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflows

Noun

When heavy rain occurs, there is a potential for flooding, particularly in areas that are low-lying or prone to floods.

— Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Last year, cloudbursts, floods and landslides caused significant loss of life and property across India.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026

Definition of floods

Noun

Social Security surpluses and deficits are mixed with the rest of the budget and included in federal-budget totals.

— Jessica Riedl, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
And while average state surpluses over the past decade have surpassed that number many times over, Connecticut’s budget is subject to a spending cap that ties its own growth to household income and inflation.

— Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2026

Definition of surpluses

Verb

When Mexico wins, and does so with authority at a World Cup, the party spills into the streets.

— Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Grief has always been at the core of the French Cuban twin duo’s work, but joy spills over in the rumbling electronic-R&B production, dramatic strings, and exultant hand percussion of Offering, their first album as independent artists.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026

Definition of spills

Verb

Things quickly take a terrifying turn during surgery when a scorpion tail suddenly bursts through Perry’s back, attacking one of the surgeons mid-operation.

— Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Haaland bursts our bubble almost immediately by scoring in the opening five minutes, and Burnley miss a few good first-half chances, with striker Zian Flemming particularly culpable.

— Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Definition of bursts

Noun

Most of the deaths were in Hengzhou, where the partial collapse of a reservoir dam sent torrents of water into the city and claimed 26 lives, said Ding Wei, the vice mayor of Nanning city, which has jurisdiction over the area.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
One significant problem, however, is that red dwarfs spit out harmful torrents of radiation in fierce gusts of their stellar winds, which can strip away a planet's atmosphere.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of torrents

Noun

On social media, even some fans railed against the gaudy excesses of the event, while rumours that leftover cake had been distributed outside it led to Marie Antoinette jibes.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 11 July 2026
Even though Clinton’s remarks Saturday received muted response on cable news due to the heatwave and Trump’s excesses, online the former President deftly tapped into the shifts among Democrats for a more combative approach to curb MAGA.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 July 2026

Definition of excesses

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overflowing

overflows

overfull

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“Overflows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflows. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of overflows

noun

verb

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