1
as in floods
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms
a spate of words has been published on this controversial topic
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loads
a considerable amount
an off-color remark that drew a spate of complaints from TV viewers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spates
When spates of violence like that occur, Norman said the department increases patrols in that area, drawing on resources from outside the area to do so.
—
David Clarey, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2025
David Clarey, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spates
Noun
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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
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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
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This especially applies to our special education teachers, many of whom carry increasingly unsustainable case loads.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
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For example, the commercial loads in the CBS Sunday afternoon NFL games are identical to the loads that pop up during the games streaming on Paramount+.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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The close proximity of the plant to homes and schools led to widespread outrage and now dozens of lawsuits after residents were displaced for days.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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Late summer and early fall have a couple dozen dates on the books but nothing in Boston yet.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Noun
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The Explorer class will employ a Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) design, and will measure approximately 359 feet (109 meters) in length and displace about 9,100 tons.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
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The agency said in a statement on X that the meteor released energy equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT explosives, causing a loud noise in the area.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Rodent holes, brush piles, firewood, timbers, dense undergrowth, and leaf piles can also attract wasps in search of a place to nest.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
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Knisley has worked with communities where coal ash was used to fill children’s ball fields and seen Tennessee Valley Authority waste piles of the toxic ash piled up behind a public playground, open to the wind.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Well Retinol Body Lotion and more can't-miss retinol beauty products deals below.—
Sophie Wirt,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
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The bill’s backers say the legislation would protect name, image and likeness earnings for players, keep in place the current revenue framework from the House settlement, and prevent athletes from predatory NIL and recruiting deals.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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But Cepeda and Petro on Sunday night sowed doubt in the result and claimed — so far without evidence — that hundreds of thousands of votes were manipulated and that foreign actors interfered with the result.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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Photons from tens, hundreds, thousands of years ago collide with my eyes.—
Alexandra Oliva
June 1,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spates. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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