dike 1 of 2

1
as in dam
a bank of earth constructed to control water an elaborate system of dikes built to protect the lowlands from the relentless onslaught of the sea

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2

dike

2 of 2

verb

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 dike
Noun
There’s a classic Dutch folk story about a young boy who heroically plugged a small leak in a dike with a finger, preventing a catastrophic flood by holding back the water until help arrives. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025 This discovery adds to the growing body of evidence that removing dikes—and re-introducing tidal waters—can be beneficial for estuary ecosystems. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
The southern banks along Svensen Slough, a side channel of the Columbia River, have transformed over time from historic spruce swamp into fields diked off by European settlers for farming. Edward Stratton, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2018 Aerial photos show portions of the land – diked and drained for agriculture by the 1930s and cut in half by US Highway 30 by the 1970s – slowly returning to wetlands as levees broke down and breached. Edward Stratton, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2018 See All Example Sentences for dike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dike
Noun
  • Studies of dams in Brazil show that deforestation caused by the dams reduce their potential for power generation by up to 10%, which while sounding modest, means for one plant, lost revenue of $21 million.
    Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Its leaders agreed to build the dam six feet higher so that the reservoir had enough space to store 5,000 acre-feet of water to be used for environmental health purposes on South Boulder Creek, which flows out of the bottom of the dam.
    Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • With no access to public sewer lines and unaffordable septic systems, some families have dug ditches to divert the waste.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
  • If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and shield your head, or leave your vehicle and find shelter in a ditch or ravine.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Long before its demolition, the city had fenced off part of the nearby sidewalk because debris had fallen off the tower and landed near people walking their dogs.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Not long after, states began requiring all private swimming pools to be fenced, which led deaths to fall and has since been adopted nationwide.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In the early 1900s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began installing canals and levees to control flooding in the Everglades, which allowed people to build farms and communities along its edges.
    John Kominoski, The Conversation, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Dozens of rivers from Arkansas to Indiana were flooding on Sunday, threatening bridges, levees, water and sewage systems, and other infrastructure.
    Patrick J. Lyons, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Bucks can’t afford to cough up the ball in their own trenches.
    Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • This sophisticated trench is crafted to withstand both rain and wind while maintaining a breathable feel.
    Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Nokia Bell Labs’ Robert Willett has been at it since his graduate work in 1988, and the team expect to demonstrate the first NOT gate with this architecture later this year.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Dali can be seen in a video obtained by ABC News walking up to gate B38 at Terminal 4 while other passengers have their boarding passes and passports checked.
    Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Footage showed the mangled wreckage on an embankment on the side of the highway.
    Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Beltram’s truck hit their car, sending it down an embankment, crushing the passenger side compartment of the car, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • But during city reviews, officials asked for a curb, gutter and sidewalk across the length of the frontage, which would destroy the trees.
    Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Drew Guthrie, of the same engineering firm, said the drainage would be improved with development of the property as the construction would include a curb and gutter system and three drainage areas.
    Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dike. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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