1
as in blocking
to prevent passage through by filling with something
ice floes were damming the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in filling
to close up so that no empty spaces remain
dam up the pipes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of damming
Then, about 20,000 years ago the Laurentide continental glacier moved into the area, pushing rocks, soil, and other debris, eventually damming Pine Creek and forming an expansive lake.
—
Anthony Fredericks, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
As these boar and beavers escape, digging up his neighbor’s fields and damming his streams, the two farmers begin to butt heads.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
Designed for a valley miles away from the Sacramento River, the reservoir would pump water through an underground pipe connecting to the river, rather than damming and trapping its water supply.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The more Austinites have expanded the surface area of lakes — by damming up the Colorado River with various degrees of success from 1893 to 1960 — the more moisture was available to evaporate into the air.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
But a combination of river damming, habitat destruction, overfishing and pollution has caused numbers of the southern residents’ preferred prey, Chinook salmon, to plummet since the 1980s.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
On the tower’s other side, boundless flats of sand and cracked mud spread to the horizon across what was, prior to the river’s damming a century ago, one of Earth’s great green estuaries.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
That can help identify whether your home is at risk of ice dams, and lead to insulation upgrades and other services to mitigate ice damming in the future.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The authors further emphasize that behaviors such as waterfall climbing may be especially vulnerable to environmental pressures, including habitat fragmentation and river damming.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025
Anthony Fredericks, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
As these boar and beavers escape, digging up his neighbor’s fields and damming his streams, the two farmers begin to butt heads.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
Designed for a valley miles away from the Sacramento River, the reservoir would pump water through an underground pipe connecting to the river, rather than damming and trapping its water supply.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The more Austinites have expanded the surface area of lakes — by damming up the Colorado River with various degrees of success from 1893 to 1960 — the more moisture was available to evaporate into the air.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
But a combination of river damming, habitat destruction, overfishing and pollution has caused numbers of the southern residents’ preferred prey, Chinook salmon, to plummet since the 1980s.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
On the tower’s other side, boundless flats of sand and cracked mud spread to the horizon across what was, prior to the river’s damming a century ago, one of Earth’s great green estuaries.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
That can help identify whether your home is at risk of ice dams, and lead to insulation upgrades and other services to mitigate ice damming in the future.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The authors further emphasize that behaviors such as waterfall climbing may be especially vulnerable to environmental pressures, including habitat fragmentation and river damming.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damming
Verb
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The Wild were without defenseman Jonas Brodin for the first time in the playoffs after he was injured blocking a shot in the second period of Game 5 in Dallas.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
1 May 2026
-
Among his proposals is to reform the California Environmental Quality Act to enable only government prosecutors to sue, thus blocking the ability of private individuals and organizations to stop or delay new housing development.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Carranza said filling empty positions will require better salary and training, and perhaps more pay bumps when new hires hit yearly milestones.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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Chinese EVs leave everyone else in the dust, we’re told, with infotainment that makes your smartphone look like a StarTac, range numbers that would make a turbodiesel Audi weep, and charging that might be even faster than filling up with gas, depending on the size of your tank.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Separately, Comey was federally indicted last year on suspicion of making false statements to Congress and obstructing congressional proceedings, but those charges were later dismissed.—
Pilar Melendez,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
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Sacramento police had arrested Adger on suspicion of battery, resisting or obstructing a peace officer, and inflicting undue suffering or pain on a dependent.—
Darrell Smith
May 1,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The bee should be eliminated first before plugging the hole.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
5 May 2026
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The Hawks should have more chemistry now that most of them have a full NHL season under their belts, and plugging Stenberg into that would fit like a puzzle piece.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Even fifty years later, my mom has iconic looks and lots of opinions, especially when packing for a vacation.—
Amanda Eyre Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
2 May 2026
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Bradford advises packing one blanket per family member, along with a couple of extras.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Damming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damming. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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