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
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
But there’s ephemera in the spiritual sense of craft—the spare remarks and objects that constitute the overflow cut for cleaner syntax or word count.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
Detainees describe electric shocks, rubber bullets, exposure to cold, scarce food and water, and overflowing bathrooms at Israel’s Ktzi’ot prison.
—Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Noun
Cynics say this would be a dream come true for professors of philosophy and entire departments of philosophy, including a cushy overflow into the liberal arts all told.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
But there’s ephemera in the spiritual sense of craft—the spare remarks and objects that constitute the overflow cut for cleaner syntax or word count.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Verb
As anyone who's come within a hundred miles of the city will tell you, Nashville is a live-music mecca, overflowing with boot-stomping, fiddle-playing entertainment.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
Detainees describe electric shocks, rubber bullets, exposure to cold, scarce food and water, and overflowing bathrooms at Israel’s Ktzi’ot prison.
—Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
-
Since Ian, Orange County has deepened stormwater ponds in the area and repaired damaged pumps to improve flood storage and drainage before future storms.—
Greg Bennett,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
-
Bode's redemption journey takes a detour when a devastating flood hits Edgewater.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Columbus now seems to have a surplus of females capable of competing and could make a move for the right price.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
The companies said the program could help transform surplus plutonium from a long-term storage liability into usable reactor fuel.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Following the tank's rupture, the liquid spilled into a drainage ditch, said Brittny Goodsell, a state Ecology Department spokesperson.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
-
Following the tank’s rupture, the liquid spilled into a drainage ditch, said Brittny Goodsell, a state Ecology Department spokesperson.—
Claire Rush,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Macrophages are the heavy lifters that engulf debris and pathogens.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
25 May 2026
-
On May 21, law enforcement agencies responded to the team’s bus engulfed in flames outside Blue Cross Park, according to Winnipeg Police Service.—
Mitch Picasso,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
But among the regular assortment of items that would burst the seams of your bank account or your apartment’s square footage, this year’s design week featured all sorts of small, excellent objects, and many of them were even affordable.—
Anthony Paletta,
Curbed,
23 May 2026
-
Their easy, hedonic seductiveness emerges, too, via Yuskavage’s lush, rounded, fleshy brushstrokes (a different sort of stroke material, for the patriarchy or for anyone else), which render everything from boobs to bellies to nipples smooth and swollen, like a succulent fruit fixing to burst.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
After that came a torrent of stories from the garage.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
24 May 2026
-
Generating up to 18 million pounds of thrust — twice the liftoff power of NASA's SLS moon rocket — the 33 methane-burning Raptor engines at the base of the Super Heavy first stage pushed the 407-foot-tall rocket skyward atop a brilliant torrent of blue-white fire.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Swimsuits for women my size are typically cumbersome, made with a confusing excess of fabric, and frumpy.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
-
The areas in red are indicative of temperatures well in excess of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and include major European cities such as Madrid and Paris.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Just make sure not to overfill, so those peaches stay sealed in.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
23 May 2026
-
In fact you’re actively encouraged not to overfill your days.—
Jane Alexander,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
