flow

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitive

   To move along steadily, as water or air does.

   Grammar: No object; often followed by a direction: the river flows to the sea.

   Patterns

   • flow into something
   • flow from something

   The river flows through the center of the city.

   Blood flows from the heart to the rest of the body.

   Water flowed under the door.

2. 2verbintransitivefigurative

   To move or proceed smoothly and without interruption, as traffic, ideas or talk.

   Grammar: Often used figuratively with adverbs like freely or smoothly.

   Patterns

   • flow freely
   • flow smoothly

   Traffic flowed smoothly after the accident was cleared.

   Ideas flowed freely during the workshop.

   The conversation flowed easily over dinner.

3. 3nouncountable or uncountable

   A steady, continuous movement of something, such as liquid, people or information.

   Grammar: Often followed by of: a flow of water.

   Patterns

   • a flow of something
   • the flow of something

   The doctor checked the flow of blood to his leg.

   A steady flow of tourists arrived each morning.

   The dam controls the flow of the river.

4. 4noununcountableinformal

   A state of full, effortless focus on an activity.

   Grammar: Often with in: in a flow, in the flow.

   Patterns

   • be in the flow
   • get into a flow

   The writer was in a flow and typed for hours.

   Musicians talk about getting into the flow.

   Interruptions broke her flow.

Word forms

Common combinations

flow freely

Information should flow freely between teams.

go with the flow

I wasn't sure of the plan, so I went with the flow.

cash flow

Small businesses worry about cash flow.

flow into

The stream flows into a small lake.

traffic flow

New lights improved traffic flow.

steady flow

A steady flow of letters came in.

Synonyms and how they differ

stream

Stream implies a narrower, more distinct line of movement than flow.

run

Run is the everyday word for liquids, such as water running from a tap, while flow is a bit more general and formal.

circulate

Circulate means to move around in a circuit, like blood or air.

pour

Pour is heavier and faster, suggesting a large amount moving at once.

Opposites

Word family

flowing adjective

moving smoothly, or loose and graceful

overflow verb

to flow over the edge

inflow noun

a movement of something into a place

outflow noun

a movement of something out of a place

flowchart noun

a diagram showing steps in a process

Commonly confused: flow or flaw?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “flow”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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