Meaning & use
floodgates
Gates that control the flow of water, or, figuratively, a restraint that holds back a large release of something.
See it in a sentence
Engineers opened the floodgates to release pressure after days of heavy rain.
Her tears opened the floodgates of emotion she had held back for months.
A note on using this word
The idiom "open the floodgates" describes a sudden, overwhelming release, often of emotions, requests, or events.
Words with a similar meaning
sluice gates
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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