1
as in blocking
to prevent passage through by filling with something
ice floes were damming the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in filling
to close up so that no empty spaces remain
dam up the pipes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of damming
The more Austinites have expanded the surface area of lakes — by damming up the Colorado River with various degrees of success from 1893 to 1960 — the more moisture was available to evaporate into the air.
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Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 4 Jan. 2026
But a combination of river damming, habitat destruction, overfishing and pollution has caused numbers of the southern residents’ preferred prey, Chinook salmon, to plummet since the 1980s.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
On the tower’s other side, boundless flats of sand and cracked mud spread to the horizon across what was, prior to the river’s damming a century ago, one of Earth’s great green estuaries.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
That can help identify whether your home is at risk of ice dams, and lead to insulation upgrades and other services to mitigate ice damming in the future.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 11 Dec. 2025
The authors further emphasize that behaviors such as waterfall climbing may be especially vulnerable to environmental pressures, including habitat fragmentation and river damming.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damming
Verb
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In the 47-second video, the agent can be seen walking around Good’s maroon Honda Pilot, which is in the middle of the street blocking traffic.—
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The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension accuses the FBI of blocking it from accessing evidence in the investigation.—
Verb
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Several hundred people turned out over the course of the afternoon, filling the main parking area and forcing others to park in an adjacent hospital clinic lot and a nearby strip mall as a steady stream of visitors continued to arrive.—
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More than 100 people gathered outside the Home Depot on Grasmere Avenue in Fairfield late Saturday morning, filling the sidewalk with handmade signs, chants and the steady sound of car horns from drivers slowing down to show support.—
Verb
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Salah was convicted in April on one count of planting the hoax bomb and another count of obstructing the free exercise of religion.—
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Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan is facing federal charges for allegedly obstructing agents trying to arrest an undocumented immigrant.—
Verb
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Allow the monitor to air dry before plugging it back in.—
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Rechargeable lanterns often include an AC adapter for plugging them into an electrical outlet.—
Verb
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In between packing the meals, the guys also talked to CBS News Philadelphia about the excitement of the beginning of the playoffs.—
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Volunteer opportunities include assisting senior shoppers and restocking shelves at the organization’s grocery store, translating materials, packing groceries in the warehouse or delivering bags to senior residences.—
Cite this Entry
“Damming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damming. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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