1
as in flood
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms
a great overflow of water from the heavy rains swept mud and silt down onto the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
an overflow of help actually made the job more complicated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to flood
to flow over the brim or top of
while the wine steward stood there gawking at the nearby celebrity, my expensive champagne was overflowing its glass and pouring onto our table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to engulf
to cover with a flood
the swollen river overflowed the surrounding land and washed several houses away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overflow
Dale Denwalt,
Oklahoman,
1 July 2026
Businesses impacted by sewer overflow The Great Marsh Shellfish Company is nestled in the marshes along the Rowley River.
—
Mike Sullivan,
CBS News,
29 June 2026
Dan Alexander,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
When Christmas rolls around, her home can be found overflowing with cheerful Hobby Lobby finds, from red and green adornments to unique, oversized jingle bells.
—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Noun
Hundreds of residents have reportedly signed a recall petition seeking to oust Mayor Brian Pillmore, and the current city council spent more than four hours speaking to an overflow crowd on June 30 during a discussion about the project.
—
Dale Denwalt,
Oklahoman,
1 July 2026
Businesses impacted by sewer overflow The Great Marsh Shellfish Company is nestled in the marshes along the Rowley River.
—
Mike Sullivan,
CBS News,
29 June 2026
Verb
The situation overflows with potential conflicts of interest.
—
Dan Alexander,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
When Christmas rolls around, her home can be found overflowing with cheerful Hobby Lobby finds, from red and green adornments to unique, oversized jingle bells.
—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
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When heavy rain occurs, there is a potential for flooding, particularly in areas that are low-lying or prone to floods.
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Width, density and spacing in cross sections of the tree rings document floods, droughts and hurricane landfalls.
Noun
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When energy demand is low and renewable energy supply is in surplus, the Nova Spin uses its electric motor to accelerate the steel rotor inside the unit.
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Instead, the Sharks got two defensemen who are not elite and a forward who might just be a surplus to immediate needs.
Verb
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Immigrants crowded waiting rooms and spilled into hallways as clerks raced to process around 100 people scheduled for an administrative hearing that morning.
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Thousands of beer cans spilled across a Connecticut roadway Tuesday after a tractor-trailer overturned, forcing authorities to shut down the highway for hours.
Verb
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Polls show Democrats are the favorites to retake Congress heading into November, but the party is engulfed at the moment by a fierce debate about its ideologicl direction.
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The impact caused a fire that engulfed the county bus, the NTSB said.
Verb
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However, the extravagant nature of such spending appears to be a bubble that has now burst, especially given the obvious failure to build a domestic talent pool.
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When fire crews arrived on scene, the fire had consumed multiple rooms and had burst through the roof of one of the three hotel buildings.
Noun
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One significant problem, however, is that red dwarfs spit out harmful torrents of radiation in fierce gusts of their stellar winds, which can strip away a planet's atmosphere.
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After Bores entered the race, super PACs tied to investors in ChatGPT maker OpenAI unleashed a torrent of spending aimed at torpedoing his campaign.
Noun
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Attems Sauvignon Blanc, Venezia Giulia IGT, $20 Attems offers a slightly riper, more generous introduction to Friulian sauvignon blanc, but never veers into tropical excess.
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Working with 5 to 6 pieces at a time, remove fish from batter, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, and add to hot oil, briefly dragging fish along surface of oil to prevent sticking.
Verb
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In June 2025, nearly 5,000 gallons of diesel were spilled from the Johns Hopkins University campus when a contractor overfilled emergency generators.
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Especially today, when spaces can easily feel overfilled, being intentional about what isn’t there can be just as important as what is.
Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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