Definition of overflownext
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
3
as in to burst
to be copiously supplied a magazine that usually overflows with home-repair tips for the do-it-yourselfer

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
Noun
Because the ferry, naturally, didn’t have one big corridor, an overflow room projected a live feed of the main stage (shaped like a blocky ‘T’). — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026 Thursday night's meeting has been moved to a bigger location with an overflow room at 2121 South Union. — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
Both have a salad bar, a self-serve soup station, an overflowing bread basket, and a special (say tagliatelle with truffles, a roast Argentinian rib-eye, or a seafood buffet), which is the same on both floors. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026 South Florida roads and overflows sewage systems The National Weather Service in Miami concurs. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overflow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overflow
Noun
  • That bypass channel will serve as the flood control element of Panther Island.
    — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Boulder argued the companies and a trade group knew decades ago that fossil fuels would hurt the environment, raising the risk of floods, extreme heat and wildfires.
    — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The law allows national and state member banks to invest up to 20% of their capital and surplus in affordable housing, small business lending and community revitalization.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The recent closing of Hawthorne Race Course brought a surge in the number of surplus thoroughbreds.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan brought the two countries to the brink of war last year, with the acrimony also spilling onto the cricket field.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Nonslip The best bloody bath mats will not cause real blood to be spilled.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • An off-duty KCPD detective and a Clay County sheriff’s deputy immediately jumped into action last week after spotting a Ford F-150 pickup truck engulfed in flames along Interstate 35 — and the whole thing was caught on camera.
    — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And for much of the game Sunday, gloom once again engulfed McVay and a team that opened the season as a heavy Super Bowl favorite.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In these moments, the actor bursts through his roles as the Spider does through Reilly, unleashing the Grand Guignol excess that is Nicolas Cage.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Two weeks after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, the Russian TV Channel One editor Marina Ovsyannikova burst onto the set of the evening newscast.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Such terrain is already conducive to flash flooding, sudden torrents that can sweep down canyons and other low-lying areas with little warning.
    — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision unleashed unlimited torrents of money into political campaigns, elections are now largely financed by big money donors and super PACs.
    — Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Uncover dough and moisten hands in water, shaking off excess.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Trump says the Biden administration set those fees higher than necessary and built up a surplus, and the White House is framing the checks as a return of that excess.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Raw shell eggs were overfilled in an insert tray and measured 55 degrees.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • On the other hand, overfilling the drum can strain the motor and reduce cleaning efficiency.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overflow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overflow. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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