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
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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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2
as in to engulf
to cover with a flood
the swollen river overflowed the surrounding land and washed several houses away
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of overflow
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
Parking lots have regularly filled to capacity this year, pushing the airport to operate overflow lots.
—Megan Stringer, Axios, 18 Nov. 2024
Isabel Garcia, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
Pasadena Humane was already overflowing with large dogs, and has been seeking fosters who can take them in temporarily to free up space.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for overflow 
Noun
By that time, however, gas had built up, and a spare overflow tank, where employees should have directed the excess, was not as empty as protocol demanded.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Dec. 2024
Parking lots have regularly filled to capacity this year, pushing the airport to operate overflow lots.
—Megan Stringer, Axios, 18 Nov. 2024
Verb
The site’s fashion category is overflowing with more than 4,000 winter fashion arrivals.
—Isabel Garcia, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
Pasadena Humane was already overflowing with large dogs, and has been seeking fosters who can take them in temporarily to free up space.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
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Before the 1924 Summer Games, when host Paris was beset by floods and economic struggles, L.A. civic leaders volunteered their city as a last-minute replacement.David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
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The inmates, who are trained to respond to disasters like floods and fires, have been a large part of the state's firefighting force since the 1940s, drawing controversy every step of the way.Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Luckily, Lovehoney has made all the possibilities more reachable by discounting a surplus of devices ahead of February 14 by up to 70 percent off.Maya Gandara, StyleCaster, 15 Jan. 2025
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For example, one couple who would have faced a retirement funding shortfall when they had been affected by the WEP and GPO may now have a lifetime surplus of more than $300,000 once those offsets are eliminated, according to MassMutual's computer models.Lorie Konish, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In December, the coastal area around Salt Creek in Dana Point was closed after 3,375 gallons of sewage spilled into the sea.Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
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This winter has been different because a strain of the bird flu virus has spilled over into dairy herds too, leading to hundreds of infected herds.Alexander Tin, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Now that social media has engulfed culture, pop songs are teased as snippets, mined for the briefest hooks and effects, choreographed for vertical screens and pitched as the latest plot twist in a performer’s continuing, open-ended reality series, otherwise known as a career.Jon Pareles, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2024
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With the star ready to explode into life — and threatening to engulf the Earth in the process — Joy grabs the briefcase and absorbs the seed into herself.Richard Edwards, Space.com, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Last April, 174 people were stranded for up to 23 hours when a pod on a cable car line in southern Turkey hit a pole and burst open for unknown reasons, killing one and injuring seven.Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025
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Editor’s picks The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Though he’s known for being slightly reticent in interviews, today, Bad Bunny is fully charged and bursting with stories.Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Technology mogul Elon Musk has been using his X social media platform in recent weeks to unleash a torrent of criticisms and accusations aimed at political figures in Britain, Germany and Canada.Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
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Mandatory overtime to send surges of unhappy and ill-prepared cops underground hasn’t restored confidence in public safety, even as investigators are now probing how Friends of Eric benefitted from the OT torrent.Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The experience of that disaster and others has led to per-event deductibles (or excess) rising from 100 million euros to 400 million euros today.Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2025
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The same things happened during the early days of the Macri administration, where the excesses of the Kirchner era were quickly investigated, and several high profile officials including former vice president Amado Boudou and Julio De Vido, Public Works Secretary, were arrested in demeaning ways.Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The pair left with a space heater and a bag overfilled with scrap metal.Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
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However, these measurements aren't always the rule for others, and glasses are often overfilled at restaurants, bars, and homes all too often, according to De Lavallade.Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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