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
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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
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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
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 overflow
Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026 So many people showed up Tuesday that court staffers had to open up an overflow courtroom, which also nearly filled to capacity. —Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026 Though the region has traditionally been a stronghold of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party, the square where Magyar spoke was overflowing; there seemed to be at least 1,000 people, many of them teenagers and young families. —Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overflow
Noun
Two overflow rooms were set up to accommodate the public interest. —Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026 So many people showed up Tuesday that court staffers had to open up an overflow courtroom, which also nearly filled to capacity. —Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
In urban areas, the conditions also heighten the risk of combined sewer overflows, when stormwater mixes with untreated sewage, said Allison Fore, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. —Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026 Though the region has traditionally been a stronghold of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party, the square where Magyar spoke was overflowing; there seemed to be at least 1,000 people, many of them teenagers and young families. —Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
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An aerial photo of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam taken Saturday, April 11, shows water moving through the system, and flood precautionary measures, including pumps and sandbags, being taken at the dam.— Nick Lentz, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
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Don't walk through flood waters.— CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Back then, online purchases hadn’t been invented, experiences were less curated, and the World Cup was regarded as a festival of soccer rather than an opportunity to extract consumer surplus.— John Cassidy, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
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Of course, Indiana closed fiscal year 2025 with a $676 million surplus and billions in reserves, which makes these sorts of decisions possible.— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In addition to spilling boxes and spray bottles, the truck also spilled about 50 gallons of fuel.— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
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Surging jet fuel prices have spilled over into higher ticket fees and even flight cancellations, transport costs are up, and elevated global commodities prices are buoying prices at the factory gate.— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fuqua hadn’t planned to downplay the controversy that engulfed Jackson in his final decades.— Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
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For the first time since Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades engulfed his apartment building in November, Mak stepped into his former home again Monday.— Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rico, his wife Michele and daughter Mia burst from their chairs and cheer as Domino flexes his arms, each sleeved in tattoos of dominoes, palm trees and a Cuban cafetera with biceps.— Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
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My heart is constantly bursting open, while also breaking into a million pieces.— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The message was met with a torrent of enthusiasm for the Indigo Girls carrying on.— Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
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The images ignited a torrent of confusion and outrage at Bahraini authorities and calls for an investigation.— Jane Lytvynenko, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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How war became inevitable Yet Netanyahu shows no concern for how Israel’s excesses are fueling antisemitism in what has been Israel’s only dependable ally.— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
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McIlroy, in particular, was thought to have turned down an offer in excess of Jon Rahm’s reported £500 million contract.— Will Barker, TheWeek, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tame Your Brows Don’t overfill them — just brush them up.— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
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Two days later, Gomes Akay was seen dragging a large suitcase that appeared to be overfilled from the hotel.— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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