dikes 1 of 2

noun

plural of dike
1
as in levees
a bank of earth constructed to control water an elaborate system of dikes built to protect the lowlands from the relentless onslaught of the sea

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2
as in ditches
a long narrow channel dug in the earth water flowed along the dike to the small pond

Synonyms & Similar Words

dikes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of dike
as in fences

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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 dikes
Noun
Like many inland dikes, the barrier in agricultural fields near the small town of Waddinxveen, east of The Hague, is made of peat that needs to be damp to be strong enough to hold back water. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026 As the dikes spread, the region faced earthquakes and brought back into action long dormant faults, draining the magma beneath the ridge. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026 City officials warned residents in the vicinity of the dikes to prepare to evacuate. — Kansas City Public Library Staff, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026 Constructing protective structures such as levees and dikes can help, as can preserving natural landscapes, such as wetlands and estuaries that can act as a natural sponge to absorb floodwaters, in and near the cities, Shao and her colleagues wrote. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026 The core examples are nuclear power plants, dams, dikes. — Connor Greene, Time, 8 Apr. 2026 Officials had worried that a system of dikes along the Skagit River would fail, and potentially inundate parts of Mount Vernon, a riverside town of about 35,000. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 13 Dec. 2025 Chinese mitten crabs burrow into levees, dikes, and stream banks, increasing erosion and threatening flood-control systems. — Staff Author Updated, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025 While the new dikes are funded by the federal government, the extensive reforestation efforts are privately covered by a non-governmental organization. — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dikes
  1. levees
  2. ditches
  3. hedges
  4. dams
  5. trenches
  6. embankments
  7. gutters
Noun
  • Another problem human measures like dams and levees seem to have created, the team argues, is a perception of safety.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The failure of the New Orleans levees caused the city to flood, hitting poorer Black neighborhoods particularly hard.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of levees
Noun
  • This untreated runoff makes its way through storm drains and ditches into our local streams and rivers and eventually, the ocean.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Both townships and counties had authority to tax land thus providing funds for roads and ditches.
    — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 July 2026
Definition of ditches
Verb
  • Apple hedges across the supply chain, but these price rises illustrate systemic long-term pressure rather than short-term variations.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • For example, low-cost Irish airline Ryanair currently hedges 80% of its jet fuel costs, giving them a significant competitive advantage when fuel prices increase.
    — Tiago Ventura, Time, 26 June 2026
Definition of hedges
Noun
  • Nearly all the power that does exist comes from hydropower dams concentrated in the cyclone-prone south, hundreds of miles from demand in the capital.
    — Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Another problem human measures like dams and levees seem to have created, the team argues, is a perception of safety.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of dams
Noun
  • After working for more than a decade in club music’s trenches, the brothers now aspired to be not merely DJs, but a dance-music act known for spectacular live performances.
    — Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Now, stars broken in the reality trenches are crossing over into more traditional Hollywood offerings, with everyone from Netflix to A24 putting scripts into their hands.
    — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of trenches
Noun
  • Rising sea levels push salt water inland through rivers, canals and shallow groundwater; storm surges cause embankments to collapse, allowing water to seep into soils, rivers and groundwater systems.
    — Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, The Dial, 7 July 2026
  • Riding mowers are not designed for wet conditions and are more likely to roll on embankments.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 June 2026
Definition of embankments
Noun
  • Winds ripped gutters from cottages where staff members live during the school year and tore the face from a clock tower that has stood at the school since its founding more than a century ago.
    — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Ensure your existing gutters are firmly secured, leak-free and properly sloped toward downspouts before mounting guards (a professional will do this as part of their initial assessment, too).
    — Nick Perry, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of gutters

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Cite this Entry

“Dikes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dikes. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of dikes for Spanish Speakers

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