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 Chopper 2 The fire grew to three alarms, engulfing the entire building and eventually causing the steeple to collapse. — Adi Guajardo, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 Video shows thick black smoke engulfing the Mutiara Sentosa 2 as panicked passengers crowd the decks, some leaping overboard to escape the flames. — Trisnadi, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Home surveillance video shared with Fox News Digital shows flames engulfing the backyard as the fire spread. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 By the time crews arrived at the scene, somewhere between 3 and 4 feet of water and mud had accumulated in the theater, engulfing all of the ground floor seats and rising to the height of the elevated stage. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026 Under the microscope, the researchers observed these supergiants running over smaller kin and engulfing them whole at the rate of one every 10 minutes. — Jay Kakade july 23, Refractor, 23 July 2026 Clark Forrest is a local weatherman who becomes absorbed in the crises engulfing his new friend Floyd Smernitch, the station’s sign-language interpreter. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026 Shop Cooling Summer Dresses at REI This summer has proven to be particularly brutal, with heat waves engulfing a massive portion of the country. — Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 But the scandal engulfing Platner’s candidacy has invited a who’s who of Maine Democrats to float their names for the nomination, some of whom are more liberal than others. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engulfing
  1. flooding
  2. overwhelming
  3. drowning
  4. submerging
Verb
  • Kelly Howe The area around the Aspen Acres fire was also struck by flooding last month.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Tributes are flooding in for Hayden Panettiere, the Scream and Heroes star who died Sunday at 36.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of flooding
Verb
  • The natural fabric layers seamlessly into English cottages, cozy urban apartments, and relaxed California homes alike, delivering gentle movement without overwhelming a space.
    — Nina Derwin, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But this year, the number and scale of foodborne illness outbreaks are overwhelming the system and disrupting the ability to respond.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of overwhelming
Verb
  • Two of the remains found in 2022 belonged to drowning victims.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The Port of Los Angeles forklift driver was wearing a life vest and was floating away, out to sea -- cold, worried about sharks and drowning.
    — Michele Gile, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of drowning
Verb
  • During the eclipse, the Moon passed between the Earth and the Sun, temporarily submerging parts of the region in darkness.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The team decided to flood the snake out by placing the helmet in a container and submerging it in water until the snake decided to come out of the helmet for air, when the team was able to remove the snake, according to Eoff and Davis.
    — Mason Leib, ABC News, 11 Aug. 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 21 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on engulfing

Nglish: Translation of engulfing for Spanish Speakers

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