swamp

Pluralswamps

Formsswamps, swamping, swamped

1. 1
   wetlandnouncountable

   An area of soft, wet land, often with trees, that is full of wildlife but hard to farm.

   Alligators live in the swamp behind our town.

   The old road went around the swamps instead of through them.

   Similarmarsh, bog, wetland, morass, mire

   Note
2. 2
   overloadverbfigurativelytransitive

   To be too much for someone, or to give them more than they can handle.

   Holiday orders swamp the small bakery every December.

   I was swamped with homework all weekend.

   Similaroverwhelm, flood, inundate, deluge, overload

   Note
3. 3
   fill with waterverbtransitive

   To fill something with water or make it very wet.

   A big wave swamped our little boat.

   Heavy rain can swamp the garden in minutes.

   Similarflood, inundate, drench

4. 4
   government corruptionnounUS

   The corruption, favors for friends, waste, and powerful insiders that some say fill the US government, especially in Washington.

   The candidate promised to drain the swamp if she won.

   He said the swamp in Washington had blocked every reform.

   Similarestablishment

   Note
5. 5
   messy situationnounfigurativelycountable

   A nasty place or situation, or one where it is very hard to make progress.

   The project turned into a swamp of delays and arguments.

   The city's old jail was a swamp of disease and filth.

   Similarmorass, quagmire, mire, cesspool

6. 6
   verbfigurativelytransitive

   To get someone into serious trouble, or to ruin or wreck them.

   Huge debts swamped the family farm, and they had to sell it.

   One bad decision could swamp the whole company.

   Similaroverwhelm, sink, engulf

   Note
7. 7
   clear bushesverbdialectalAppalachiatransitive

   To clear bushes and branches from a road or area, especially so loggers can reach the trees.

   His first job at the logging camp was to swamp the trails.

   They swamped a path up the hill before the teams came through.

   Similarclear

   Note

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