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
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
Reuters, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2025
And in warehousing, Prologis has already seen a stockpiling of inventory levels and a search for overflow space, with one prominent customer increasing their warehouse utilization from 83 percent to over 90 percent.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 24 Apr. 2025
Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 14 May 2025
The cabin grew warmer, and the bathroom sinks overflowed with clean water (apparently, an automatic system that turns the water off had been disconnected).
—Jamie Ditaranto, AFAR Media, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Noun
Dozens more are expected to watch proceedings in an overflow room set up at the court.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2025
And in warehousing, Prologis has already seen a stockpiling of inventory levels and a search for overflow space, with one prominent customer increasing their warehouse utilization from 83 percent to over 90 percent.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
Here’s what’s inside it Mathews: The Tijuana overflows with sewage.
—Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 14 May 2025
The cabin grew warmer, and the bathroom sinks overflowed with clean water (apparently, an automatic system that turns the water off had been disconnected).
—Jamie Ditaranto, AFAR Media, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
-
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth issued a flood warning in several North Texas counties, including Tarrant County, beginning Monday evening through Tuesday morning, when 1 to 3 inches of rain is forecast.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 May 2025
-
That Noah and a handful of family members really could have sustained thousands of animals for months, floating above a global flood that drowned everyone else in the wicked world.—
Peter Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
New movies and series are added to Apple TV Plus every Wednesday and Friday, ad-free, and in surplus.—
Alexander Cox,
Space.com,
26 May 2025
-
Connecticut has funneled $12.5 billion in surpluses since 2017 to build reserves and scale back pension debt, a furious pace that far outstrips any similar effort in modern history.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
25 May 2025
Verb
-
Ellie doesn’t know that Joel killed Abby’s father until she’s already spilled a small army’s worth of blood in retaliation.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 May 2025
-
And now, four years later, their fruitful plot spills over with all kinds of produce and flowers, including blackberries, cosmos, green beans, eggplants, and a handful of apple trees, among other things.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
25 May 2025
Verb
-
Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed gray and orange smoke billowing upwards, engulfing buildings in an industrial park.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
27 May 2025
-
Sudan has also been engulfed by what the United Nations says is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, and disease outbreaks, famine and atrocities have mounted as the African country entered its third year of war.—
Fatma Khaled,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
Broadcast integrations included Stitch bursting onto the sets of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and SportsCenter.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
25 May 2025
-
Some participants carried American flags as children burst through a paper border wall.—
Riley Robinson,
Christian Science Monitor,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
The company has been grappling with a historic cyberattack, higher-than-expected medical costs and a torrent of public blowback after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
16 May 2025
-
The Big Picture Want to catch up on the recent torrent of news?—
Rebecca Dzombak,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
That's right—even the sprayer in your at-home spa needs to be cleaned from time to time to remove an excess of buildup that can change the way your soothing shower feels.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
-
Workers have to remove large seven-point leaves, weigh them and account for each piece of plant material before the excess gets thrown away.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
They had been rather carelessly overfilled and half an inch of gas sloshed on top of the barrels.—
Charles Elliott,
Outdoor Life,
1 May 2025
-
The Patriots seemingly overfilled their roster after making 11 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft and remaining busy during the undrafted free-agent signing period.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share