floodgate

noun

Definition of floodgatenext
as in sluice

Related Words

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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 floodgate The floodgates to common sense have busted open, testing political natural selection. — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 5 June 2026 This doesn’t and shouldn’t open the floodgates throughout the rest of a firm. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 Hilary Crowley, a county spokeswoman, said a $100 million floodgate completed in 2024 has been infested with the relentless mollusks, requiring an expensive removal. — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 8 May 2026 The floodgate will require an expensive removal of the mussels. — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for floodgate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floodgate
  1. sluice
  2. barrier
  3. barrage
  4. barricade
  5. weir
  6. lock
Noun
  • Dam Removal Europe found that the number of dams dismantled in 2025, along with other water-flow controls like weirs, culverts and sluices, grew by 11% from the year before.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 3 June 2026
  • The archways are furnished with sluice gates that can open to allow excess water to pass through in periods of flooding.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Definition of sluice
Noun
  • The two sides were also in touch on monitoring a barrier lake that risks flooding and imperiling rescue workers.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The lab behind the glass barrier is a laboratory automation installation, built around a conveyor system.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of barrier
Noun
  • Sánchez faced a barrage of questions on Thursday from lawmakers after his opening address alongside calls for early elections.
    — Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The home run barrage continued into the bottom of the second inning when Bregman cranked the first of his three home runs, a two-run shot off another Harrison fastball that gave the Cubs a 6-0 lead.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of barrage
Noun
  • After marching from Crocker Park in downtown Sacramento, the protest groups engaged in verbal and physical altercations across a barricade formed by law enforcement officers.
    — Hannah Ruhoff, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In another affidavit, Ernani Bernardi, who represented Panorama City on the City Council, described how authorities had put up a barricade blocking an entrance to Blythe Street.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of barricade
Noun
  • Removing the weir will lower the entire lagoon’s water level by several feet and restore the ebb and flow of ocean tides to the basin.
    — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
  • Known as Big John, the man was fined and forced to dismantle his traditional fish weir or risk imprisonment after he was reported for fishing outside of the reservation.
    — Aubrey Violeta Gelpieryn, CBS News, 30 May 2026
Definition of weir
Noun
  • During the test, the lock and pivot assembly showed no displacement or structural failure.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Larger configurations, such as the R140X, incorporate swiveling crossbars with snap locks alongside vertical and horizontal dividers for customized interior partitioning.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of lock

Browse Nearby Words

flooded
floodgate
floodgates
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on floodgate

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about floodgate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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