floodgate

noun/ˈflʌdˌɡeɪt/

Frequency rank: #19,720 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

a gate used to control the flow of water; often used figuratively to mean something that, when opened, releases a large amount of something previously held back.

Illustration for the English word “floodgate”

Example sentence

Lowering taxes opened the floodgate that allowed money to flow freely into the economy.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 19,701–19,800