1
as in flood
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms
a spate of words has been published on this controversial topic
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2
as in loads
a considerable amount
an off-color remark that drew a spate of complaints from TV viewers
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spate
Many unfortunate events were blamed on poison—the unexpected death of an enslaver or a slave, a spate of local deaths due to a virus or other disease, or problems on the plantation such as ill livestock or bad harvests.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
As a spate of recent insider-trading scandals among senior Fed officials demonstrates, the institution can’t even hold its own personnel accountable.
—Aaron Klein, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
The year started with a spate of national chains announcing closures.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 29 Dec. 2025
However, this year has seen a spate of high-profile attacks in predominantly Christian pockets of the north, which has drawn international attention and condemnation.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spate
Noun
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Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.—
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During a flood-the-zone presidency, this seems like a sound strategy.—
Noun
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As more loads were seized through the summer and fall of 2024, Wedding began to rely increasingly on one of Toronto’s most colorful criminal defense attorneys, Deepak Paradkar, for information, according to the indictment.—
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In some of the tunnels that cut through the mountains, there were only a couple of inches to spare on either side of the loads.—
Noun
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The statement comes as xAI faces a torrent of criticism from government regulators around the world in connection to images produced by its Grok software over the past several days.—
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Residents had to frantically flee their homes as a torrent of debris rushed through town and encased homes and cars in feet of mud.—
Noun
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But what's really cool is how the movie brings those story lines together in a narrative filled with intriguing twists, gnarly kills, heroic sacrifices and a slew of nifty new Predator designs.—
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In addition to curating several promotions, Christy has also signed a slew of boxers over the years and has taken them across the country to compete in various events.—
Noun
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Glendale police officers arrested two women accused of using counterfeit money at a dozen In-N-Out locations throughout Southern California.—
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Andrej Stojakovic had 12 points and eight rebounds, Jake Davis scored a dozen points and David Mirkovich grabbed eight rebounds for the Illini (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten), who won their fourth in a row.—
Noun
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Lightweight and easy to flatten when empty, this packable tote from Bagsmart is a steal for $26 and features tons of pockets for stashing all of your travel essentials.—
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The hair and makeup come together to beautifully complement her stunning Valentino gown—a silver-blue halter dress complete with tons of sequins and beading.—
Noun
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Only a handful of rafts floated lazily in the water.—
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The Niners have dealt with a raft of injuries admirably.—
Noun
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Obviously, there’s a bunch of different plays that lead up to that.—
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This was just a bunch of kids playing in the sandbox telling stories.—
Cite this Entry
“Spate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spate. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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