floodgate

noun

flood·​gate ˈfləd-ˌgāt How to pronounce floodgate (audio)
1
: a gate for shutting out, admitting, or releasing a body of water : sluice
2
: something serving to restrain an outburst
opened the floodgates of criticism

Examples of floodgate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Though some prominent sales have happened in Miami and South Florida, the floodgates haven’t opened yet because bulks purchases remain a hard deal to pull off, Marcus said. Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025 Over time, the expense of providing a wire of connectivity to the home becomes a floodgate of costs. Joseph Coughlin, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 The private markets landscape has fundamentally changed Perhaps the biggest reason why Chime’s upcoming IPO won’t open the public markets floodgate is, that the landscape has fundamentally changed. Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024 Hood takes Littlejohn’s massive hand and the floodgates open, the big man crying fat tears that roll down his face to the gurney below. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for floodgate

Word History

Etymology

Middle English flodgate

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of floodgate was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Floodgate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floodgate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

floodgate

noun
flood·​gate ˈfləd-ˌgāt How to pronounce floodgate (audio)
: a gate (as in a canal) for controlling a body of water : sluice

Legal Definition

floodgate

noun
flood·​gate
: something serving to restrain an outburst (as of litigation)
usually used in pl.
a decision that will open the floodgates for other claims

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