floodgate

noun

flood·​gate ˈfləd-ˌgāt How to pronounce floodgate (audio)
1
: a gate for shutting out, admitting, or releasing a body of water : sluice
2
: something serving to restrain an outburst
opened the floodgates of criticism

Examples of floodgate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
So to shoot 60 felt like the floodgates kind of opened up for us. Marcus Thompson Ii, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025 Foreign nationals are not allowed to donate to political candidates or super PACs — committees that are a product of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. FEC case that opened up the floodgates for election spending. Gabe Kaminsky, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 22 Dec. 2024 As these legendary works and characters step into the public domain, the floodgates open for new interpretations, adaptations, and reimaginings, giving creators a fresh canvas to work with and breathe new life into these cultural cornerstones. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024 Now, as traders bet the incoming Trump administration could open the crypto floodgates, Musk's latest salvo against the spiraling $36 trillion debt pile have sparked calls for Musk's Doge department of government efficiency to back the Bitcoin Act of 2024. Billy Bambrough, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for floodgate 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English flodgate

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of floodgate was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near floodgate

Cite this Entry

“Floodgate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floodgate. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

floodgate

noun
flood·​gate ˈfləd-ˌgāt How to pronounce floodgate (audio)
: a gate (as in a canal) for controlling a body of water : sluice

Legal Definition

floodgate

noun
flood·​gate
: something serving to restrain an outburst (as of litigation)
usually used in pl.
a decision that will open the floodgates for other claims

More from Merriam-Webster on floodgate

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