engulf

verb en·gulf \ in-ˈgəlf , en- \

Updated on: 3 Dec 2017

Definition of engulf

transitive verb

1 : to flow over and enclose : overwhelm

the mounting seas threatened to engulf the island

2 : to take in (food) by or as if by flowing over and enclosing

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engulfment

play \in-ˈgəlf-mənt, en-\ noun

See engulf defined for English-language learners

See engulf defined for kids

Examples of engulf in a Sentence

The valley was engulfed in a thick fog.
high waves from the hurricane engulfed large areas of the coastal community

Recent Examples of engulf from the Web

Nearly everyone on the island is now without power, after the storm fully engulfed Puerto Rico by midmorning Wednesday.

— brittney mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "Hurricane Maria Hit Puerto Rico," 10 Oct. 2017
Suddenly, the name of Andrés Felipe Arias was all over the media, and not in a positive way: It was engulfed in scandal.

— jay nordlinger, National Review, "Asylum Now," 24 Oct. 2017
On Monday, Variety’s Brent Lang reported that the Weinstein Co. had obtained an emergency infusion of cash from Colony Capital to help the studio weather the scandal engulfing its co-founder.

— rebecca keegan, HWD, "Weinstein Gets Blacklisted—and Bailed Out," 16 Oct. 2017
On his drive to KCH as fire engulfed Grenfell Tower in London on June 14th, Dr Tunnicliff told procurement teams to grab kits for cyanide poisoning, since this is caused by inhaling fumes from burnt upholstery.

— The Economist, "Damage controlTrauma medicine has learned lessons from the battlefield," 12 Oct. 2017
In recent weeks, Haiti has been engulfed in protests over tax hikes, with massive and sometimes violent street demonstrations.

— jacqueline charles, miamiherald, "Haiti requests 18-month TPS extension from Trump administration," 9 Oct. 2017
Libya has been engulfed in conflict since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.

— alex horton, chicagotribune.com, "U.S. drone strikes kill 17 Islamic State fighters in Libya, military says," 24 Sep. 2017
Within minutes the bus was engulfed in flames, but the children had been safely evacuated.

— matt campbell, kansascity, "Before Hickman Mills bus erupted in flames, driver had saved the day," 22 Sep. 2017
Stands of trees that matured over decades — sometimes centuries — were engulfed within minutes.

— hal bernton, The Seattle Times, "Forests west of the Cascades will see more fires, bigger fires with climate change," 9 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'engulf.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of engulf

1555

engulf Synonyms

Synonyms

deluge, drown, flood, gulf, inundate, overflow, overwhelm, submerge, submerse, swamp

Antonyms

drain

Related Words

avalanche, smother; overcome, overrun; flow, flush, gush, pour, sluice, spout, spurt, stream; douse (also dowse), drench, soak, wet

Near Antonyms

dehydrate, dry, parch

ENGULF Defined for English Language Learners

engulf

verb

Definition of engulf for English Language Learners

: to flow over and cover (someone or something)

ENGULF Defined for Kids

engulf

verb en·gulf \ in-ˈgəlf \

Definition of engulf for Students

engulfed; engulfing

1 : to flow over and cover or surround

The town was engulfed by the flood.

2 : to be overwhelmed by

He was engulfed by fear.

Learn More about engulf

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engulf

Definition of engulf

engulfment

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Examples of engulf in a Sentence

Recent Examples of engulf from the Web

First Known Use of engulf

engulf Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

ENGULF Defined for English Language Learners

engulf

Definition of engulf for English Language Learners

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engulf

Definition of engulf for Students

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