SPATE Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

spate

noun

ˈspāt

Definition of spate

as in flood

a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms a spate of words has been published on this controversial topic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in loads

a considerable amount an off-color remark that drew a spate of complaints from TV viewers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 spate The Social Reckoning had a tough time making noise at the box office in its opening weekend, spurring debate about the prospects for a spate of 2026 titles examining the tech sphere. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 Japan has declared a cybersecurity emergency, following a spate of attacks on its companies in recent weeks. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026 Some investors are likely calibrating their portfolios for that possibility, while others are investing based on a spate of Republican victories. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026 In 2026, for instance, upset victories by Democratic Socialist candidates in New York, with an 11% turnout, and Colorado, with a 34% turnout, led to a spate of news stories about the success of socialists. — Robert Boatright, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spate

Noun

Rainfall may total 12 to 20 inches, causing inland flood concerns, as well.

— Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Areas at highest risk of coastal flooding this week are Orange and San Diego counties, where the National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning that will last through Thursday afternoon.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of flood

Noun

Cranes lift 200-ton loads at mountain bridge site The R4300-200 has a maximum lifting capacity of 200 metric tons (220 US tons) and an 80-meter jib (262 feet).

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Its remaining civil rights workers have described untenable case loads and pressure to dismiss complaints.

— Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of loads

Noun

If not for the drone and rumble of multiple water pumps and torrent of water seeping through the sandbags and the buildings, Tuesday morning would have been a perfect time to visit the Fun Zone on the peninsula.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Remember Popcorn Time, the app that served as an easy-to-use front end for streaming torrents of movies and TV shows?

— Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of torrent

Noun

But the Lions lost a slew of experienced players from the team that went 11-2 and struggled in the early going this season.

— Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 27 Oct. 2026
Microsoft has been ramping up spending on data centers to accommodate high AI computing demand, supplying cloud services to Anthropic, OpenAI and a slew of other companies.

— Jordan Novet, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of slew

Noun

The advance notice allowed Baugh and his colleagues to alert dozens of grooms living in the barns to evacuate before the flood reached them.

— Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
The ruling allowed Oregon and dozens of other Western localities to limit where individuals living in cars, parks and other encampments stayed.

— Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of dozen

Noun

Such a difficult start was understandable after a hugely disruptive offseason, which saw a raft of star players leave the club, including Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, Emi Martinez and Youri Tielemans.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
In the same era, Democrats in Congress enacted a raft of social programs that would become part of the language, such as Medicare and Medicaid.

— Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of raft

Noun

Halo’s deep problems won’t be fixed overnight, and throwing a bunch of hard-working developers to the curb certainly won’t help.

— Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The 35-year-old model shared a bunch of photos on Instagram, leading with a mirror selfie in a plunging black one-piece swimsuit featuring a dramatic neckline and high-cut sides.

— Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of bunch

Browse Nearby Words

spat

spate

spates

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of spate

noun

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