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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Wetlands work as barriers that soak up water from floods and storms, Neill says.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Yet, parts of Houston suffered another 1,000-year event the following year when remnants of Hurricane Harvey stalled over the city in 2017, and Houston has seen other 500-year floods in recent years.—
Dominic Boyer,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As trucks roared up the landfill and dumped fresh loads of trash, adults and children alike rushed forward, gathering beneath cascading avalanches of waste to grab anything of value.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
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The 37-year-old is aging like fine wine, averaging nearly 26 points per game for the Houston Rockets while shouldering one of the heaviest minutes loads in the league.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Even moderate rainfall can quickly transform these waterways into destructive torrents that overflow into nearby townships, including Friendswood and League City.—
Dominic Boyer,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
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Wandering through the wash, the mind drifts not to the film but to the flash floods that move through this channel after heavy rains, sudden torrents cutting and reshaping the valley floor in a matter of hours.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The heartbroken mother of a 15-year-old boy who was beaten and fatally shot inside a Queens park as dozens of teens callously filmed the slaying on their phones condemned his killer — and those who did nothing but watch him die.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Webb escaped further trouble but needed another dozen pitches to finish the inning.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Central banks have been a dominant force in the gold market in recent years, buying more than 1,000 tons annually from 2022 — which marked the highest level of annual gold demand by central banks on record — through 2024, according to the World Gold Council.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
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According to research from lighting brand Pooky, in cities like Las Vegas, households throw away over 547,000 tons of furniture per 100,000 residents annually—that's the equivalent of around 20,700 couches per day.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The three-block stretch, between 16th and 19th avenues, looks markedly different from just a year ago, when tents, abandoned cars and piles of trash crowded the street and sidewalks.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Black smoke billowed into the night sky of the Ukrainian capital, the morning revealing charred cars and piles of debris scattered next to damaged buildings.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Amazon’s exclusive hub is full of limited time deals that only Prime members can access, and deals span across all categories, including home, fashion, kitchen, and gardening.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
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Keep scrolling for more can’t-miss deals from Kelly Clarkson’s home collection at Wayfair.—
Ali Faccenda,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Slowly, incrementally, Andrew disassembled the coach, until hundreds of little bits of him were scattered from Rockville to Manassas.—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Climate change and persistent drought have already sapped hundreds of billions of gallons of water from the river’s annual flow.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spates. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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