flowed; flowing; flows
1
a(1)
: to issue or move in a stream
rivers flow into the sea
(2)
b
: to move with a continual change of place among the constituent particles
molasses flows slowly
water flowing over the dam
2
: rise
the tide ebbs and flows
3
: abound
a land flowing with natural resources
4
a
: to proceed smoothly and readily
conversation flowed easily
b
: to have a smooth continuity
the flowing lines of the car
5
: to hang loose and billowing
her gown flowed around her
6
: to derive from a source : come
the wealth that flows from trade
7
: to deform under stress without cracking or rupturing
—used especially of minerals and rocks
8
1
: to cause to flow
flowing oil over the swamp to kill mosquito larvae
2
: to discharge in a flow
The new oil well flowed 100 barrels a day.
plural flows
1
: an act of flowing
2
a
b
: flood sense 2
the tide's ebb and flow
3
4
: the quantity that flows in a certain time
a gauge that measures fuel flow
5
6
a
: the motion characteristic of fluids
b
: a continuous transfer of energy
7
chiefly African American English
: a rapper's lyrical delivery as characterized by cadence, speed, volume, rhyme, etc.
… [Cardi B's] flow is so relentless that for nearly three minutes she doesn't offer listeners a single moment to catch their breath.—
Lindsay Zoladz
Lindsay ZoladzHaving a great flow is the skill that can elevate an average rapper to a highly talented one.—Robby Seabrook III
Robby Seabrook IIIExamples of flow in a Sentence
Verb
rivers flowing into the sea
She opened the faucet and the water began to flow freely.
a device that measures the amount of electricity flowing through a circuit
Traffic has been flowing smoothly from east to west.
The grain flowed smoothly down the elevator chute.
Requests have flowed into the office.
Money has continued to flow in.
Noun
a sudden flow of tears
a steady flow of traffic
The doctor was trying to stop the flow of blood.
We want to encourage the free flow of ideas.
the westward flow of settlers
We've been receiving a constant flow of phone calls.
measuring blood flow to the brain
Recent Examples on the Web
Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Your creative juices are flowing, Leo.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
What ostensibly started as a war against the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl has now ballooned into a far broader clash – spanning rare earths, American soybean exports, technology controls and China’s energy dealings with Russia.
—Jhasua Razo, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flow
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
If the Chinese truly agree to keep the supply of critical minerals flowing on an ongoing basis, the world will win.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Your creative juices are flowing, Leo.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
Second, the government data flow has been choppy in October, but alternative indicators and prior releases still point to slower growth alongside inflation that remains above target but trending less sticky at the margin.
—Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
What ostensibly started as a war against the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl has now ballooned into a far broader clash – spanning rare earths, American soybean exports, technology controls and China’s energy dealings with Russia.
—Jhasua Razo, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flow
Cite this Entry
“Flow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flow. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flow
1 of 2 verb1
: to move in a stream
2
: rise entry 1 sense 5a
the tide ebbs and flows
3
: to glide or pass smoothly and readily
4
: to hang loose and waving
her gown flowed around her
5
: to come from as a source
money that flows from trade
flow
2 of 2 noun1
: an act of flowing
2
b
: the flowing in of the tide
the tide's ebb and flow
3
a
: a smooth even movement
b
: a mass of matter that has flowed when melted
a lava flow
4
: the quantity that flows in a certain time
the flow of water over a dam
Medical Definition
flow
1 of 2 intransitive verb1
: to move with a continual change of place among the constituent particles
blood flows toward the heart in veins
2
flow
2 of 2 nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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