engulfing

verb

present participle of engulf
as in flooding
to cover with a flood high waves from the hurricane engulfed large areas of the coastal community

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 engulfing The protest movement has added to a sense of uncertainty and crisis engulfing France six months ahead of a presidential election that could usher in the first far-right government since World War II, led by Le Pen’s National Rally. — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 And liquid nitrogen could transform custard into ice cream in the blink of an eye, engulfing the table in a theatrical fog. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 This will result in engulfing more and more people into higher tax brackets over the years. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2026 The conflict between these characters is greater than the morality tale engulfing them. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 My biggest takeaway from engulfing myself in a Vegas book for the umpteenth time was the cheering and screaming every time a player approached the end zone. — Doug Kezirian, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Yvette opens the door to Pizza City’s lone toilet, engulfing them in a bouquet of Pine-Sol and damp cinderblock and the earthier smell of the small weedy lot where the bathroom’s rear wall ought to be. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 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 Those officials moved into these elevated positions in the months following the Herald/Times’ reporting on the scandal engulfing the embattled charity. — Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engulfing
  1. flooding
  2. overwhelming
  3. drowning
  4. submerging
Verb
  • In the brain, for example, elevated stress hormones can impair learning and memory by flooding the hippocampus with excitatory chemical signals.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • By holding water on the land, these peatlands not only reduce the risk of flooding downstream, but also buffer the landscape against drought, keeping soils moist and supporting nearby forests through dry spells.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of flooding
Verb
  • But the long gearing also has its benefits in fast driving, allowing full-throttle use without overwhelming the chassis or unsettling the rear end on corner exit.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Republicans' ace in the hole While Democratic candidates dominate direct donations, Republicans are countering with overwhelming outside spending.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelming
Verb
  • Prosecutors say he was beaten, suspended by his hands and feet and subjected to simulated drowning during two days of interrogation.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Rings, watches, and even bedtime armbands like Garmin's Index Sleep Monitor now log every toss and turn, while dedicated sleep earbuds like the battery-less SomniBuds focus on drowning out the world around you.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of drowning
Verb
  • After submerging himself, Jay gets entangled in the tentacles of a giant squid, and that’s when the whale, who feeds on squid, pulls both Jay and the squid into his oversize gaping mouth.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Halfway through, Brill pulls out a machine that fills the stage with foam, submerging the actors in a cumulus of bubbles.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of submerging

Browse Nearby Words

engulfed
engulfing
engulfment
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Cite this Entry

“Engulfing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engulfing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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