flood of traffic

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "flood of traffic" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a sudden and overwhelming increase in the number of visitors or users to a website or location. Example: "After the advertisement went live, we experienced a flood of traffic to our website, causing our servers to slow down."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

36 human-written examples

But some banks were hit with a sustained flood of traffic that peaked at 70 gigabits.

The New York Times - Tech

The flood of traffic is putting campus networks and their administrators under intense pressure.

The New York Times

Readers can also share stories with their friends, and the most popular stories cause a flood of traffic as recommendations ripple across social networks.

The Economist

The Sun's Page 3 website has enjoyed a flood of traffic since the newspaper stopped publishing its daily pictures of bare-breasted women.

The Guardian

That, together with so-called "open DNS" systems online which are known to be insecure helped the hackers to create a flood of traffic.

The Guardian - Tech

After fending off the second wave of attacks, Dyn said at 5 p.m. that it was again facing a flood of traffic.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

24 human-written examples

Huge floods of traffic, whether legitimate or not, can thus cripple a server.

The Economist

Rather than aiming floods of traffic directly at Spamhaus's servers – a familiar tactic that is easily averted – the hackers exploited the internet's domain name system (DNS) servers, which accept a human-readable address for a website (such as theguardian.com) and spit back a machine-readable one (77.91.248.30).

The Guardian - Tech

Yes, Pinterest, the visual search engine/social network is sending floods of traffic to their blogs.

Huffington Post

Instead, they're using the social site strategically to get floods of traffic to their blogs month after month.

Huffington Post

The flood of new traffic management apps such as Traffic Fines India, Traffline and Traffic Tutor stand testimony to the fact that citizens are interested in safer road use.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing website activity, use "flood of traffic" to convey a sudden, large increase in visitors, often due to a specific event or promotion.

Common error

While often positive (e.g., due to successful marketing), "flood of traffic" can also indicate problems like DDoS attacks. Be clear about the context to avoid misinterpretation.

Linguistic Context

"Flood of traffic" functions as a noun phrase, typically acting as the subject or object of a sentence. This construction describes a substantial increase in the number of users or visitors, often related to internet activity, as demonstrated by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Science

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "flood of traffic" is a common and grammatically correct noun phrase used to describe a sudden and substantial increase in activity, such as visitors to a website or vehicles on a road. Ludwig confirms that the phrase is suitable for various contexts, though it is most frequently found in news and media. Alternatives like "surge of traffic" or "influx of traffic" can be used for variety. Remember that while often positive, a "flood of traffic" can also indicate problems like DDoS attacks, so context is crucial.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Deluge of traffic

Replaces "flood" with "deluge", emphasizing the overwhelming nature of the increase.

Surge of traffic

Replaces "flood" with "surge", indicating a sudden increase.

Torrent of traffic

Uses "torrent" instead of "flood", highlighting the forceful nature of the flow.

Influx of traffic

Substitutes "flood" with "influx", suggesting an inward flow.

Avalanche of traffic

Replaces "flood" with "avalanche", emphasizing the sudden and massive increase.

Wave of traffic

Uses "wave" instead of "flood", implying a rhythmic increase and decrease.

Tide of traffic

Substitutes "flood" with "tide", suggesting a gradual increase and decrease.

Storm of traffic

Substitutes "flood" with "storm", indicating a turbulent and chaotic increase.

River of traffic

Uses "river" instead of "flood", implying a continuous and steady flow.

Glut of traffic

Replaces "flood" with "glut", emphasizing the excessive amount.

FAQs

What does "flood of traffic" mean?

A "flood of traffic" describes a sudden, large increase in the amount of traffic, such as visitors to a website or vehicles on a road.

How can I use "flood of traffic" in a sentence?

You can say, "The website experienced a "flood of traffic" after the product announcement" or "The new road is expected to cause a "flood of traffic" in the area".

What can I say instead of "flood of traffic"?

You can use alternatives like "surge of traffic", "influx of traffic", or "deluge of traffic" depending on the context.

Is "flood of traffic" typically used in a positive or negative context?

It can be either. A "flood of traffic" can be positive, indicating success, or negative, indicating problems like server overload or congestion.