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
  • The record may come as no surprise after a summer marked by extreme weather, from wildfires to floods, and on the cusp of what scientists believe will be a historic El Niño.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Each El Niño seems to include some unexpected results, especially regarding where droughts and floods appear.
    — Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of floods
Noun
  • The size and specialized nature of these loads can also create opportunities for carriers to take on new customers and routes.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Faster speeds generally mean a compromise in quality, multi-color 3D printers often waste some filament, and higher volume loads usually demand more hardware.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of loads
Noun
  • Legitimate footage showed torrents of water sweeping through a valley.
    — Thor Benson, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Burn scars on the landscape wildfires rapidly funnel water into downslope torrents.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of torrents
Noun
  • Anthony Kwan / Getty Images file Legal concerns have led to the shutdown of dozens of civil society groups, including the alliance, which voted to disband in 2021.
    — Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Over 760,000 teenagers in dozens of countries took the Programme for International Student Assessment last year.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of dozens
Noun
  • China’s grain output reached a record 715 million tons in 2025, while national plans call for increasing comprehensive grain production capacity to about 725 million tons by 2030.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
  • But by the end of the season, Bowen Byram and Power were eating tons of minutes together and helping lead the Sabres to the best record in the Atlantic Division.
    — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of tons
Noun
  • Lining the approach to the gate, there was an embarrassment of new undergarments, towering piles of briefs and T-shirts.
    — Devin Friedman, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • When snow piles deep in the upper reaches, animals have no choice but to migrate down, since their food sources are covered with snow.
    — Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of piles
Noun
  • Similarly the Rodon, (Jayden) Bogle, Aaronson deals — all those guys took months to finish.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Mubadala has invested more than $20 billion in China across more than 100 deals since 2015.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of deals
Noun
  • Illinois is now tied with New Jersey for the highest property taxes in the nation, and raising commercial fair market values by hundreds of millions of dollars in a single year has told companies this is not a stable place to do business.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The company employs about 850 people, does hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure work around the Northeast, and is frequently Connecticut’s choice on big-ticket contracts to construct schools, rebuild highways or repair bridges.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 2026.

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