to drown

Examples

• All

• His smile set in motion a wave of applause, which drowned out all other sounds.

  Fiction book (1990)

• A cacophony of drilling and hammering drowned out the rushing of the river.

  Academic text (2003)

• I'll put you back on the team, But you must promise not to drown out the other children.

  An Affair to Remember (1957)

• It's drowning out my words!

  Moulin Rouge! (2001)

• The music and the applause drown out his words, and we do not hear them.

  Fiction book (1992)

• The more they babble, the more they drown out the memory of her voice.

  A Man Called Otto (2022)

• Suddenly, from down the block, there's a noise loud enough to drown out all the blaring horns.

  Fiction book (1992)

• A note of affection creeps into Gadjiev's voice, which is almost drowned out by cicadas.

  Academic text (2008)

• Muzak plays "Moonlight Sonata," drowning out the manifold reasons we cannot continue to live together.

  Fiction book (1994)

• The voice of dissent was drowned out by the louder, jargon-clotted voices of tenure-seeking scholars.

  Academic text (2001)

Synonyms

S

to swallow

vsto drown

143 4.8

To completely cover or hide something so it disappears

emphasizes total loss of perception or audibility rather than mere absorption

I

to inundate

vsto drown

40 6.8

To cover a place with water or give someone too much to deal with

is broader, applying to any method that makes things imperceptible or inaudible

E

to engulf

vsto drown

40 5.1

To cover something completely and suddenly, often by fire or water

is similar but focuses on complete concealment rather than sudden force

D

to drown out

vsto drown

37 3.5

To make a sound so loud that you cannot hear another sound

is broader, not only about sound but any form of making things imperceptible

S

to submerge

vsto drown

15 4.6

To cover completely so it cannot be seen, often by water or strong feeling

is more general, including nonphysical ways of making things imperceptible

O

to overwhelm

vsto drown

4 4.2

Cover something completely so it cannot be seen or noticed

is about hiding by making things specifically imperceptible or inaudible

W

to whelm

vsto drown

• Archaic

9.3

To cover something completely with water or soil

is wider, including nonphysical overwhelming that makes things imperceptible

Antonyms

R

to reveal

∞ 2.3

Show something that was hidden or secret

C

to clarify

248 3.3

To make something clear so others can understand it

Idioms

D

to drown one's sorrows

• Informal

11 7.5

Try to forget sad feelings by eating or drinking alcohol

Phrasal Verbs

D

to drown out

37 3.5

To make a sound so loud that you cannot hear another sound

How Loud

to drown

51 3.3

to silence

169 3.5

to muffle

64 5.8

to quieten

3 4.6

to mask

111 3.7

Surface Forms

Etymology