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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 1862 mega-floods were not from an El Niño but a piling-up of atmospheric rivers.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Pritchard will prioritize protecting the county’s farmland from floods and urban encroachment.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of floods
Noun
  • If those loads would also have gone through a dryer, the savings grow even more.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026
  • How to reduce water usage when doing laundry Only run full loads.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 17 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
  • In my ideal world there would be dozens of essay collections by excellent writers (Choi is a poet) on culture and politics, technology and the evils of capitalism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The letter says the signs will number about a dozen and will cost $7,000 each, or about $84,000 total.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of dozens
Noun
  • The country plans to expand LNG capacity from 77 million tons per year to 142 million by 2030, and duplicating that infrastructure isn’t feasible.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Every year, more than 350 million tons of PET plastic waste are generated globally.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of tons
Noun
  • But large companies with cash piles and longer-term debt can avoid experiencing some of that pain in the near term.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
  • At the pupae stage, they can be easily sorted into piles of males and females.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of piles
Noun
  • Then be sure to read our roundups of the best telescope deals, along with our beginner's guide to observing the night sky with a manual telescope.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • One-year deals give ABC and Kimmel optionality, as soon as either side chooses to act on it.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of deals
Noun
  • The approach can potentially work with samples containing only tens or hundreds of atoms, dramatically reducing the amount of material required compared with conventional NMR.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Sports organizations invest hundreds of millions of dollars in recruiting children, Buckland says.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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