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
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Recent Examples of overflow
Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
The room by the grand main entrance on the parlor level became Hershon’s office, and an overflow of books sealed off the door itself — which had never been used much anyway.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 20 Mar. 2026
Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
This year’s rookie class is overflowing with talent A wave of blue-chip talent is on the way.
—D.j. Short, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Noun
Parking also will be improved, Kinney said, to help manage and reduce overflow.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
The room by the grand main entrance on the parlor level became Hershon’s office, and an overflow of books sealed off the door itself — which had never been used much anyway.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Manoa Stream overflowed in several areas, and the worst flooding occurred when a flood wave tore through a residential area and into the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
This year’s rookie class is overflowing with talent A wave of blue-chip talent is on the way.
—D.j. Short, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
-
Checchi, in particular, barraged voters with an unrelenting flood of ads.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Domestic migration into the Sun Belt states is declining, due in part to off-the-chart heat waves, devastating storms, once-in-a-century floods, and year-round fire seasons — along with the consequential costs, such as unaffordable homeowners’ insurance and destroyed livelihoods.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The film’s surplus of action and chase scenes follows the same rigid formula of swooping camera movements and game power-up deus ex machinas that no sequence ever proves particularly exciting.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Bryant School is just one surplus building.—
Thomas White,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Several Oahu, Kauai and Maui wastewater plants overflowed from the kona lows, spilling their contents into the ocean.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Mexico’s government reported that 800 tons of hydrocarbon-laden waste have spilled into the ocean.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Arriving crews reported that the fire had already engulfed the second floor of a vacant, two-story house and began an offensive attack on the blaze, Nolan said.—
Robert A. Cronkleton
March 30,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
-
By time deputies and firefighters arrived, the home was fully engulfed.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The escalating tensions came into sharp focus March 27, when animosity between GOP lawmakers in the two chambers of Congress burst dramatically into view.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Lendeborg today feels like an overnight sensation, bursting on the scene in his maize-and-blue out of nowhere.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Following a torrent of criticism, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would try to partially open the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the coming days.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
What followed was a torrent of money.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Set in a secluded Catalonian villa, the irksomely stylish story centers on a rich family living in insulated excess until an outsider disrupts their precarious peace.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
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That delirious excess befits the essence of Lapid’s method, which is a fusion of fiction with indigestibly and irreducibly nonfictional elements.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Also, be careful not to overfill a trash can, which can lead to bags breaking.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Children are not cars whose gas tanks can simply be carelessly overfilled.—
Lauren Arikan,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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