floodway

noun

flood·​way ˈfləd-ˌwā How to pronounce floodway (audio)
Synonyms of floodwaynext
: a channel for diverting floodwaters

Examples of floodway in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The hotel is situated in a floodway, which limits construction for safety purposes, so since 1993 the site’s various owners haven’t been able to build anew; renovating ad infinitum has proven to be just dandy though. — Rachel Tepper Paley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026 This 59,000-acre floodway carries the river’s excess past the state capital. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026 Westcott said some of the subdivisions along the creek were built in the 1960s and 1970s when proper drainage was an afterthought and fences were installed in floodways. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026 Call it resilience, call it infrastructure, call it economic development—just build it before the next 8-year-old goes to sleep in a floodway. — Daniel Lehewych, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for floodway

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of floodway was in 1928

Rhymes for floodway

See All Rhymes for floodway

Browse Nearby Words

floodwater
floodway
floodwood
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Floodway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floodway. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on floodway

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for floodway

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All