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
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
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
Irene Wright, USA Today, 14 May 2026
The rates under dispute were introduced to meet new state regulations targeting combined sewer overflows.
—Nicole Van Lier, The Conversation, 13 May 2026
Social media overflows with posts that have the outline of something inspiring, vulnerable, or provocative, but are hollow underneath.
—Jamil Zaki, CNBC, 12 May 2026
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
For a majority of states, the EPA recently extended a federal electronic reporting deadline, from 2025 to 2028, to report overflows.
—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
Noun
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
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
Verb
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
The rates under dispute were introduced to meet new state regulations targeting combined sewer overflows.
—Nicole Van Lier, The Conversation, 13 May 2026
Social media overflows with posts that have the outline of something inspiring, vulnerable, or provocative, but are hollow underneath.
—Jamil Zaki, CNBC, 12 May 2026
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
For a majority of states, the EPA recently extended a federal electronic reporting deadline, from 2025 to 2028, to report overflows.
—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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflows
Noun
-
Fragmented ecosystems are also far less able to cope with increasing floods, droughts and climate extremes, according to the European Environment Agency.—
Radina Gigova,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
-
Asked about communities recovering from what feel less like 100-year floods than 1,000-year floods, Fenton acknowledged FEMA's red tape.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
America continues to run large external deficits; China continues to run large surpluses.—
Neil Shearing,
Time,
20 May 2026
-
Companies increasingly track shopping behavior, purchase history, seasonal patterns, and regional trends to forecast demand before shortages—or surpluses—develop.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The tank fails and spills a total of about six to 7,000 gallons of very bad chemicals into the parking lot in that area.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
The said, if something spills in your trash can, Murphy recommends cleaning it immediately instead of waiting.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts.—
,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Heavy rainfall in the area caused torrents and increased the risk of landslides, making rescue operations more difficult, state media said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
-
Spring rains and winter snowmelt have swelled rivers and lakes, forcing torrents of water through Cheboygan County communities on its way to Lake Huron.—
Sarah Brumfield,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The experts were more concerned about Trump’s excesses and threats to the rule of law, which, Hasen said, stands to reason.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
But the conglomerate boom of the 1960s eventually collapsed under its own excesses.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
While vulnerability discovery once required significant human effort, the company says advanced systems can now uncover flaws at a scale that overwhelms traditional patching workflows.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 May 2026
-
This is the monthly observing window — when moonlight no longer overwhelms the fainter stars and the sky begins to reveal itself again.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Pike Place Market is a five-minute walk, and the business district buzzes below.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
The best time to visit Torch Lake is mid-summer, when water temperatures hover around 70 degrees and the sandbar buzzes with activity.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overflows.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflows. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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