flood in
Definition
Verb (intransitive) To arrive or come in very large numbers, quantities, or amounts, often suddenly and overwhelmingly.
Usage
This phrasal verb describes a situation where many things or people arrive simultaneously in a large, often unmanageable, flow. It is typically used in continuous tenses or the past tense to emphasize the ongoing or completed nature of the influx.
Examples
- After the company announced job openings, applications began to flood in.
- Donations flooded in from all over the country following the disaster.
- We are struggling to respond as complaints are flooding in.
- Once the news broke, calls from concerned customers flooded in.
Advanced Usage
- "flood into [a place]": A common variant specifying the destination of the influx.
- Refugees flooded into the neighboring country.
- Capital is flooding into the new tech sector.
Variants and Related Words
- Influx (n): A large arrival or incoming of people or things.
- The city experienced a sudden influx of tourists.
- Pour in (phrasal verb): A close synonym, often interchangeable with "flood in," though sometimes implying a slightly less overwhelming quantity.
- Messages of support poured in.
Synonyms
- Pour in
- Stream in
- Arrive en masse
Antonyms
- Trickle in
- Drip in
- Cease
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Flood back: (of memories or feelings) to return suddenly and strongly.
- Memories of that day flooded back when I saw the photograph.
- Flood out: To force someone to leave their home because of a flood.
- Hundreds of families were flooded out by the rising river.
Idioms and Common Phrases
- Be flooded with [something]: To receive an overwhelming amount of something.
- The office was flooded with requests. (This is a related passive construction focusing on the recipient of the action described by "flood in.")
Verb
-
arrive in great numbers
