SPATES Synonyms: 218 Similar and Opposite Words

spates

noun

plural of spate

as in floods

a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms a spate of words has been published on this controversial topic

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Noun

In Sakarya province, around 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of Istanbul, a two-story house that was built on a riverbed collapsed in the floods, HaberTurk television reported.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
With homes nearly toppling into the ocean and back-to-back floods and hurricanes amplifying our sense of dread, keeping track of all things El Niño can be overwhelming.

— Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of floods

Noun

This is the kind of test that quickly separates a power station that merely has an impressive number printed on its case from one with an inverter and battery management system capable of handling tough, real-world loads.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Data collected from the test rig could allow manufacturers to design heat pumps and heat exchangers for high temperatures, large loads, and changing conditions.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of loads

Noun

Few of her words survived the torrents of sound in which they were immersed; as with certain Grouper recordings, the lyrics emerged as texture more than syntax.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
Such terrain is already conducive to flash flooding, sudden torrents that can sweep down canyons and other low-lying areas with little warning.

— Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of torrents

Noun

Bajaria’s foresight was sharper, investing in local language productions and building up Netflix’s global presence (almost two dozen international offices were opened during Bajaria’s reign).

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Nearly a dozen people close to Trump cast doubt on reports of tension that Politico published on Thursday.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of dozens

Noun

According to Colombian police accounts cited by El Tiempo, Pulido coordinated the shipment of approximately two tons of cocaine and 17 kilograms of heroin to Europe in 1999.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Moscow — By agreeing to open Russia’s taps and release hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel into a starving global market, the Kremlin has achieved something that raw military might on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine could never deliver.

— Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of tons

Noun

The Rest and Relax Inn in Pensacola, Florida, was surrounded by piles of debris after it was stripped of roofing materials during a heavy hit from the hurricane last night.

— Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
Pictures show divers working among piles of ancient pottery, with ceramic plates and bowls scattered across the sandy seabed.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of piles

Noun

Niinami was a dynamic, â€œhands-onâ€� leader, integrating deals like the 2014 acquisition of Jim Beam bourbon while family chairman Nobutada Saji â€œkept our corporate culture,â€� Torii says.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Creator deals unveiled at the market included Endemol Shine Brasil’s pact with Latino creator house Grupo Podpah.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of deals

Noun

As a major bloc that has been able to apply pressure, the union has thwarted several efforts by Mamdani’s predecessors to ban the attraction, as hundreds of carriage operators make a living operating the buggies.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation on Monday into an overnight cyberattack on refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of hundreds

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“Spates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spates. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of spates

noun

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