1
as in to flood
to cover with a flood
the boat was swamped by the huge wave has been swamped with paperwork since she returned from vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
parents feeling swamped by work and family obligations
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in pickle
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
with her credit cards maxed out, and the making of minimum payments a challenge, debt seemed to be an ever-deepening swamp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swamp
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
The crash comes as some airports are already swamped with long security wait times and travel disruptions caused by the partial government shutdown.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
The pygmy hippopotamus, once thought to surface in the swamps, is believed to be extinct.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for swamp
Verb
In the war’s first days, complaints about religion swamped the nonprofit Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
The crash comes as some airports are already swamped with long security wait times and travel disruptions caused by the partial government shutdown.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
During a livestream of an airboat tour of a Florida swamp, Peters and a friend repeatedly fired handguns at an alligator.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
The pygmy hippopotamus, once thought to surface in the swamps, is believed to be extinct.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for swamp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swamp
Verb
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The city has since explored smaller buyouts in places that flood repeatedly, including the Jewel Streets neighborhood, also known as the Hole, at the Brooklyn-Queens border.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Philadelphia adjusted at the break, pushing fullbacks higher and flooding the midfield, and Charlotte had no response.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And its power overwhelms that kind of analogy.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
When used in large numbers, such drones could, in theory, overwhelm air defenses.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In mid-April, MMCD staff will be working on foot and in the air across the Twin Cities, looking for trouble spots in marshes and wetlands.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Cord grass ripples across these languorous northern marshes and, while ships lay wounded and stranded in the former Aral, all that remains of the old Parkgate are some very old photographs, showing frigates, sand, and some very fetching Victorian bathing attire.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Serve over rice with yogurt and achaar (or whatever pickle-y thing is around).—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
5 Apr. 2026
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Over the decades, children have given up everything from sunflower seeds to pickles.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Slight concern engulfed Charles Lee leading into the Charlotte Hornets’ outing at Target Center on Sunday night.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
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Looking back, Dube said that the Living Wage Campaign served, in some ways, as a microcosm of the broader struggle over wages and living standards that has engulfed this country for the past half century.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Neuer helped Freiburg build the 2-0 lead that Bayern had to overcome.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Denver overcame 30 points from Toumani Camara, who hit eight of the Blazers' franchise-record 25 3-pointers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The map can help scientists studying where slow-flowing aquifers are feeding nature, nourishing streams and wetlands.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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On Illinois Environmental Lobby Day, hundreds gathered in Springfield to push action on three environmental bills to protect wetlands, ban single-use plastics and safeguard against energy and water strains caused by the data center boom.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Baby boomers have been getting plenty of blame for this predicament in recent years, but some defenders say it’s not entirely warranted.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Companies like TikTok and Snap are in the same predicament.—
Jennifer Elias,Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swamp. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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