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Showing results for embankment. Search instead for em bankment.
Synonyms

embankment

American  
[em-bangk-muhnt] / ɛmˈbæŋk mənt /

noun

  • embankments
    plural
  1. a bank, mound, dike, or the like, raised to hold back water, carry a roadway, etc.

  2. the action of embanking.


embankment British  
/ ɪmˈbæŋkmənt /

noun

  1. a man-made ridge of earth or stone that carries a road or railway or confines a waterway See also levee 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of embankment

First recorded in 1780–90; embank + -ment

Vocabulary lists containing embankment

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The catastrophe was caused by the embankment failing, not by an exceptional flood.

From BBC Sep. 3, 2026

There's also no single shared forecasting model between the two countries; and limited routine sharing on embankment conditions, river-channel changes and sediment.

From BBC Sep. 3, 2026

Pictures at the Lewes derailment have shown how the force of the train leaving the tracks had flattened trees and left a piece of track strewn across the embankment.

From BBC Aug. 14, 2026

A California airman died Thursday after the heavy machinery he was operating rolled down an embankment at a military base, officials said.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 18, 2026

When I came back to the edge of the embankment, I saw he had something in his teeth, shaking it from side to side.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

That means the tracks, signals, embankments and major stations.

From BBC Aug. 7, 2026

"Due to the impact of persistent heavy rainfall and the prolonged passage of floodwaters at high levels, the safety of reservoirs and embankments in the affected areas faces a severe test," he added.

From Barron's Jul. 8, 2026

"Due to the impact of persistent heavy rainfall and the prolonged passage of floodwaters at high levels, the safety of reservoirs and embankments in the affected areas faces a severe test," he said.

From Barron's Jul. 7, 2026

Flood defences in England range from man-made walls, embankments and storm drains to natural areas of high ground.

From BBC Dec. 9, 2025

Women in dresses of crimson and aquamarine walked slowly along the embankments.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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