to be flowed

USAGE SUMMARY

"to be flowed" is correct and usable in written English.
It is usually used to mean to be moved or directed by the flow of something, such as a river or stream. For example, "The river flowed swiftly, taking the boat along its path."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Curved Baseball Hat, the guy who grows corn and beans and who had delicate traces of soil in the lunulae of his fingernails, asked about an old gambling hall that used to be in town, and the reminiscences of the way Burlington used to be flowed – buildings that had been knocked down, women that were once beautiful and were now dead, fortunes made and vanished.

The Guardian

A microcuvette system allows material to be flowed across the surface and the SPR response at predetermined spots can be assessed in parallel by a time resolved CCD that captures changes in percentage reflectivity at selected spots on the surface.

Plosone

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Everything seems to be flowing well.

The New Yorker

So far, traffic seemed to be flowing.

The New York Times

Traffic seemed to be flowing well, Popolizio reported.

The New Yorker

These days, money, at least for capital projects, seems to be flowing back to dance.

The New York Times - Arts

Let's face it, a lot of alcohol is going to be flowing during freshers week.

The Guardian

"The humanitarian assistance is supposed to be flowing," Mr. Kerry said.

The New York Times

It was only from a short distance that the water appeared to be flowing like lava.

The Guardian - Travel

During a pause in the fighting, Georgian military personnel appeared to be flowing into the city.

The New York Times

"I don't want the river to be flowing extremely fast here," he explained.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "to be flowed" when describing a substance or entity being carried or moved by a current or stream, especially in scientific or technical contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "to be flowed" when an active construction like "to flow" is more appropriate. For example, prefer "water needs to flow freely" over "water needs to be flowed freely."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to be flowed" functions primarily as part of a passive verb construction, indicating an action being performed on a subject. Ludwig examples show its use in describing how material is handled in scientific processes or how abstract concepts like reminiscences progress.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "to be flowed" is a grammatically correct but uncommon passive verb construction. According to Ludwig, it's typically used in formal and scientific contexts to describe something being moved or directed, particularly in technical descriptions. It appears most frequently in scientific and news media sources. While grammatically sound, it’s important to consider whether an active construction might be more appropriate for clarity and directness. The relatively low frequency suggests that alternative phrasings may often be preferred.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to be transferred

Replaces "flowed" with "transferred", emphasizing the action of moving something from one place to another.

to be channeled

Suggests guiding something into a specific path or direction, instead of a general movement implied by "flowed".

to be directed

Focuses on the act of pointing or aiming something in a certain direction.

to be conveyed

Emphasizes the act of communicating or transmitting something.

to be routed

Highlights the process of establishing a specific route or path for something to follow.

to be moved

Indicates a general action of displacement or transportation.

to be passed

Focuses on the act of transferring something from one person or place to another.

to be pumped

Implies a mechanical or forceful movement of a liquid or gas.

to be discharged

Suggests the release or expulsion of something.

to be flushed

Implies cleaning or clearing something out with a flow of liquid.

FAQs

How can I use "to be flowed" in a sentence?

"To be flowed" is typically used in passive constructions to describe something being moved by a flow. For instance, "The sample needs "to be flowed" across the sensor for accurate measurement."

What are some alternatives to "to be flowed"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "to be transferred", "to be channeled", or "to be directed" as alternatives to "to be flowed".

Is it better to use "to be flowed" or "to flow"?

It depends on whether you want to emphasize the action being done to something (passive voice, "to be flowed") or the natural movement of something (active voice, "to flow"). For example: "The water needs "to flow" freely" versus "The data needs "to be flowed" into the database".

When is it appropriate to use the passive construction "to be flowed"?

Use the passive construction "to be flowed" when the object receiving the action is more important than the agent performing the action. This is common in scientific and technical writing where the focus is on the process itself, rather than who or what is causing the flow.