ENGULFING Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Relevance

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 The protest movement has added to a sense of uncertainty and crisis engulfing France six months ahead of a presidential election that could usher in the first far-right government since World War II, led by Le Pen’s National Rally. — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 And liquid nitrogen could transform custard into ice cream in the blink of an eye, engulfing the table in a theatrical fog. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026 This will result in engulfing more and more people into higher tax brackets over the years. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2026 The conflict between these characters is greater than the morality tale engulfing them. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 My biggest takeaway from engulfing myself in a Vegas book for the umpteenth time was the cheering and screaming every time a player approached the end zone. — Doug Kezirian, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Yvette opens the door to Pizza City’s lone toilet, engulfing them in a bouquet of Pine-Sol and damp cinderblock and the earthier smell of the small weedy lot where the bathroom’s rear wall ought to be. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 Footage from that border area captured Wednesday showed a furious wave of material engulfing a multistory border facility known as the Gyirong Port Immigration Office. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 Those officials moved into these elevated positions in the months following the Herald/Times’ reporting on the scandal engulfing the embattled charity. — Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for engulfing

Verb

As high tide peaked Monday morning, water surged from Newport Harbor onto the streets of the Balboa Peninsula flooding some businesses in the Balboa Fun Zone.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
That means Treasury will need to keep borrowing — a lot, flooding the market with bonds.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of flooding

Verb

The Arlington Heights Yellow Jackets (8-0, 4-0 District 4 5A-1) continued their dominant season Thursday night, overwhelming the Trimble Tech Bulldogs (4-3, 2-2 District 4 5A-1) 72-0 to remain undefeated.

— Aliza Acuna, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026
Western and workwear references ran through the lineup without overwhelming its sporty foundation.

— Footwear News, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of overwhelming

Verb

Naya Rivera died of an accidental drowning in 2020 and Cory Monteith died of an accidental overdose in 2013.

— Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
In the years since the series concluded, another loss was suffered as Rivera, who played Santana Lopez, died from drowning in 2020 after going boating with her four-year-old son.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of drowning

Verb

In his lab, mold has appeared only under deliberately extreme conditions, like submerging beans in water for hours and then exposing them to air for days.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
After submerging himself, Jay gets entangled in the tentacles of a giant squid, and that’s when the whale, who feeds on squid, pulls both Jay and the squid into his oversize gaping mouth.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of submerging

Browse Nearby Words

engulfed

engulfing

engulfment

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Engulfing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engulfing. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of engulfing

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes