as in levee
a bank of earth constructed to control water
the river backed up behind the dam until it formed a new lake
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in to block
to prevent passage through by filling with something
ice floes were damming the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dam
John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2025
The dam could solve some water concerns during drier periods for the canal.
—Karina Garcia, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2025
Umair Irfan, Vox, 15 Jan. 2025
Creative power can be dammed up or forestalled by everyday life, ordinary life, life in the squirrel cage.
—Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dam
Noun
For example, a prolonged drought last summer limited how much power Quebec’s dams could produce, causing exports to New England to plummet.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2025
The dam could solve some water concerns during drier periods for the canal.
—Karina Garcia, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
The result is that California can’t simply dam its way out of water scarcity and will have to make some difficult decisions about who gets to use water.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 15 Jan. 2025
Creative power can be dammed up or forestalled by everyday life, ordinary life, life in the squirrel cage.
—Nate Anderson, Ars Technica, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dam
Noun
-
Dams and levees lead to less frequent flooding, but erosion and deforestation mean more catastrophic floods when these barriers are breached.—
Nikil Saval,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Image Most of the storm’s damage so far has been caused by floodwaters that overtopped riverbanks and levees, surged through streets and inundated the basements and ground floors of buildings.—
Patrick J. Lyons,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The current junta similarly blocked relief in 2023 after Cyclone Mocha, denying visas to aid workers and holding up aid packages in customs.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Experience blocking: Parents can now block specific games and experiences.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Reckoning to help fill seats and keep the market recovery going.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
-
While the season is often filled with soft pastels (hi, lavender milk nails) and shimmery nudes, some celebs have decided to go in a different direction this season.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
According to police, a preliminary investigation indicated that the Jeep was attempting to exit onto the ramp for southbound I-83 when, for unknown reasons, the vehicle lost control and hit the embankment then a tree before catching fire.—
Matt Hubbard,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Auvers-sur-Oise’s mayor, Isabelle Mézières, has for five years argued that the embankment was public property, but earlier this month, an appeals court in Versailles sided with Jean-François and Hélène Serlinger, the owners of a residence that includes where van Gogh made Tree Roots (1890).—
Angelica Villa for ARTNews,
Robb Report,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Yoon has repeatedly accused Lee’s Democratic Party of abusing its parliamentary majority status to obstruct his agenda, impeach senior officials and slash the government’s budget bill.—
Time,
Time,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Keep clear of puddles - Driving through puddles or low rainwater areas can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The formula is packed with hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate and plump the skin, and it can be applied on its own or mixed into a moisturizer.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Ironwood delivers higher throughput compared to previous Google Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), and Google really plans to pack these chips in.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
While fans flooded his comments with well-wishes, the rapper’s message was clear: stay vigilant, because health is nothing to play with.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Salvage and cleanup work will continue this weekend as volunteers from nearby communities flood Moundville for a cleanup day to help the Botts and others impacted by the tornado.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The MoD spokesperson pointed to the U.K.'s commitment to plug an extra £5 billion, or $6.4 billion, into the defense budget in 2025, and raise defense spending to hit 2.5 percent of the U.K.'s GDP by 2027.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
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Districts across the Bay Area face budget deficits ranging from $20 million to $113 million and have turned to school closures and layoffs to plug holes.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dam. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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