as in levee
a bank of earth constructed to control water
the river backed up behind the dam until it formed a new lake
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in to block
to prevent passage through by filling with something
ice floes were damming the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dam
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Three separate dams would be needed across the strait, which is 51 miles (82km) wide at its narrowest, due to the two islands that lie in the middle, with the longest section spanning roughly 24 miles (38 km), said LiveScience.
—Will Barker, TheWeek, 12 May 2026
Dan McGrath, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
Plants can regenerate, since the beavers have dammed up the water to keep some for their little ecosystem.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dam
Noun
Jackson also hopes to make a movie about the Dambusters Raid, which was an attack on German dams by the Royal Air Force carried out on the night of May 16, 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 May 2026
Three separate dams would be needed across the strait, which is 51 miles (82km) wide at its narrowest, due to the two islands that lie in the middle, with the longest section spanning roughly 24 miles (38 km), said LiveScience.
—Will Barker, TheWeek, 12 May 2026
Verb
Tenuously held back by moraines – the jumble of rock and sediment deposited by glaciers at their edges – or dammed by glacier ice, these lakes are anything but stable.
—Dan McGrath, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
Plants can regenerate, since the beavers have dammed up the water to keep some for their little ecosystem.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dam
Noun
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While the land up for sale is currently undeveloped, it's bordered by a neighborhood to its north and south, a river levee to the east, and a public road to the west.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
15 May 2026
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In April, officials noticed new damage to the levee.—
John Ryan,
NPR,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The affidavit states that Dunmars parked in front of Hayes’ vehicle, partially blocking her path, before a physical fight allegedly broke out involving Dunmars’ daughter and two of Hayes’ daughters.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
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The big guy in the doorway stretched out his arms, his hands gripping both sides of the knotty pine planks on either side of the door frame, his body filling the space, blocking our way out.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
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If the federal gas tax is suspended from June 1 through October 1, for example, Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates that a household filling up a 15-gallon tank once a week would save about $35 over those four months.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Gauthier moved to the middle for one shift as top-line winger Troy Terry filled his spot on right wing.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The car tumbled down an embankment into thick foliage, pictures posted on social media by Millers Creek Fire Department showed.—
Joe Marusak
May 16,
Charlotte Observer,
16 May 2026
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According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Rodriguez’s vehicle went into a ditch, hit a tree and a concrete embankment and caught on fire.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2026
Verb
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You’re also banned from soliciting signatures, interfering with the voting process, disrupting the polling place or obstructing other voters’ access to the polling place.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
19 May 2026
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This month, a senior operations officer at the CIA alleged to Congress that the agency had obstructed those investigative efforts and claimed that the computer activity of DIG personnel was monitored.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The bird retina is complex and densely packed with more than a hundred cell types that work to render the world in great resolution.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
13 May 2026
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The Rimowa collection also features a cross-body bag in orange made in Italy from calf leather, a shopping bag, a trifold toiletry pouch and packing cubes.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
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After all, Ngannou famously left the UFC after a bitter contract dispute, making his entrance as news alerts about McGregor flooded social media.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
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The name Gathright Dam pays tribute to Thomas Gathright, the man whose land the Jackson River flooded prior to the impoundment being built.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Mahan proposed incentivizing electric vehicle owners to charge midday, when solar energy is abundant, and plug into the grid at night, a move Hilton dismissed as impractical.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
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For example, the companies Space Tango and Voyager Technologies (formerly Nanoracks) have already begun providing plug-and-play research support services in space, and Voyager Technologies is working on a commercial station concept, called Starlab.—
Ramin Skibba,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dam. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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