spates

noun

plural of spate
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 spates Markets also have been wavering from spates of heavy selling of stocks in companies linked to the boom in artificial intelligence. — ABC News, 10 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spates
  1. floods
  2. loads
  3. torrents
  4. dozens
  5. tons
  6. piles
  7. deals
  8. hundreds
Noun
  • Even short periods of moderate rain on severe burn scars can unleash post-fire floods.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Lessons from Corpus Christi In Corpus Christi, recent floods have delayed the city's water emergency until 2028, buying leaders there some time.
    — Lexi Salazar, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of floods
Noun
  • Cranes lift 200-ton loads at mountain bridge site The R4300-200 has a maximum lifting capacity of 200 metric tons (220 US tons) and an 80-meter jib (262 feet).
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Its remaining civil rights workers have described untenable case loads and pressure to dismiss complaints.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of loads
Noun
  • Remember Popcorn Time, the app that served as an easy-to-use front end for streaming torrents of movies and TV shows?
    — Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026
  • There was also a time when leadership halted, then resumed, downloading torrents sourced from Anna’s Archive, another staffer testified.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of torrents
Noun
  • An ocean bordered by dozens of countries would be far harder to rename than a gulf or a lake.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Two women, ages 50 and 60, were killed and dozens of other people were wounded in a Russian strike on a market in Lozova, in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, said Oleh Syniehubov, head of the regional military administration.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of dozens
Noun
  • Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said earlier this week that the first shipment would amount to 40,000 tons of diesel, according to Russia's Interfax news agency.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • To meet those requirements, the company customized its L760-50 luffing-jib tower crane, which has a maximum lifting capacity of 50 metric tons (55 US tons) and a maximum jib length of 60 meters (197 feet).
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of tons
Noun
  • When Anthropic goes public, the stock its seven cofounders hold stands to be worth up to $200 billion between them, carved up into seven nearly identical piles.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The birthday cakes appear pulled out of manila envelopes along with piles of pictures, as if being entered into evidence at a trial.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of piles
Noun
  • In order to reach a majority (61 of 120 seats) and pick a prime minister, deals will have to be made.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Bringing private equity deals into view Two other policy responses are gaining traction.
    — Yashaswini Singh, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of deals
Noun
  • Black neighborhoods north and northwest of downtown Jacksonville endure poverty, pollution, and high incidences of lead poisoning, cancer, and other diseases — and hundreds of shootings involving children.
    — Yona Gavino, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The company said Cheerios and Ziploc receive hundreds of thousands of requests, comments and reactions annually about cereal packaging.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of hundreds

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Cite this Entry

“Spates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spates. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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