drown

verb

ˈdrau̇n How to pronounce drown (audio)
Definition of drownnext
1
as in to flood
to cover with a flood whole villages drowned by the rampaging river

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to soak
to wet thoroughly with liquid drowned the carpet with shampoo, and so it took forever to dry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to wet
to make wet cooked pasta drowned in marinara sauce

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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 drown Then, crews from the Urban Search and Rescue team worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to drain the tank and help save the remaining bears from drowning, officials said. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 When two of the students began to drown, the other two allegedly jumped in to try to save them, after which they were also swept out to sea. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026 Going back to the Mets example, perhaps in an uber-technical sense a Mets’ loss could have marginal economic impact as some fans guzzle more beer to drown away their sorrows. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 City leadership should drown out the noise and do the right thing. — Ross Marchand, Baltimore Sun, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for drown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drown
  1. flood
  2. soak
  3. wet
  4. engulf
  5. saturate
  6. wash
  7. overwhelm
  8. drench
Verb
  • The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.
    — MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • And on July 12, 2008, two undocumented immigrants drowned as a wash near Nogales flooded in a heavy thunderstorm.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of flood
Verb
  • Palace workers also collected cards soaked after a nightly downpour and dried them to preserve the mourners’ messages for posterity, NRK reported.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Excess moisture is the biggest concern, so avoid soaking the surface and dry it thoroughly after cleaning.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of soak
Verb
  • Havenith said deliberately wetting clothing can provide evaporative cooling, including for older adults who may not sweat as effectively.
    — Aya Diab, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For best results, water deeply at the base of the plant, allowing moisture to soak into the root zone rather than wetting the foliage, says Kelly Funk, president and CEO of Jackson & Perkins.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of wet
Verb
  • Footage from that border area captured Wednesday showed a furious wave of material engulfing a multistory border facility known as the Gyirong Port Immigration Office.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Senators, governors, commissioners, judges, lawyers, regents and even the president of the United States have taken cracks at fixing the problems that engulf college sports.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of engulf
Verb
  • The initial three rounds were not very heavy but saturated the soil and left the area much more prone to dangerous flash flooding once the fourth round of torrential rain moved through.
    — Trevor Ault, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • By then, police said the Nissan was wanted in connection with felony evading, and officers saturated the area in an effort to locate it.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of saturate
Verb
  • People pointed to enormous rocks that had been washed downriver during the earlier floods, as others standing on a suspension bridge over the water were warned off with whistles.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Some pointed to enormous rocks washed downriver during the earlier floods, while others standing on a suspension bridge were warned off with whistles.
    — Victoria Milko, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of wash
Verb
  • But the speed and scale of investment could also overwhelm the institutions needed to manage it.
    — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine possesses substantial counter-drone equipment, but the sheer volume of FPVs has the potential to overwhelm kinetic defenses.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • Jódar was drenched in sweat by early in the third set Wednesday, on a humid — but not intensely humid — day in New York despite the rain later.
    — Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Try a bright, patterned wallpaper, color-drench the walls and ceiling, or try out a dark paint color.
    — Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of drench

Browse Nearby Words

droves
drown
drowned
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Cite this Entry

“Drown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drown. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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