I.
noun
ADJECTIVE
▪ heavy , large , massive
▪ good
▪ adequate
▪ poor
▪
Our shower doesn't work very well because of the poor water ~.
▪ main
▪ increased , increasing
▪ decreased , reduced
▪ ceaseless , constant , continuous , endless
▪ free , uninterrupted
▪
the uninterrupted ~ of traffic
▪ even , smooth , steady
▪
to maintain an even ~ of work through the department
▪ easy , natural
▪
I liked the concerto for its natural ~.
▪ outward
▪
the outward ~ of investment from the country
▪ annual , daily , seasonal
▪ data , information
▪ air , gas , heat
▪ blood , menstrual
▪ lava , river , water
▪ traffic
▪ capital , cash , financial , investment , production , trade , work
▪ narrative
VERB + FLOW
▪ have
▪
Big pension funds have a constant ~ of cash.
▪ get , obtain
▪
Squeeze the tube slowly to obtain an even ~.
▪ allow
▪
We like to allow a free ~ of ideas in our company.
▪ create , generate , produce , provide
▪
The system provides a continuous ~ of information to the market.
▪ keep , maintain
▪
He kept up a ~ of chatter.
▪ ensure
▪
Use a wide pipe to ensure an adequate ~ of water.
▪ control , manage , regulate
▪ follow
▪ encourage , facilitate , stimulate
▪
to encourage the ~ of revenue into the country
▪ enhance , improve , increase , restore
▪
The company is trying to enhance its cash ~.
▪ affect
▪ disrupt , impede , reduce , restrict , slow , slow down
▪
The continual bombing disrupted the ~ of supplies to the ground troops.
▪ block , break , break up , cut , cut off , halt , interrupt , staunch , stem , stop
▪
They tried to staunch the ~ of blood.
▪ direct
▪ divert
▪
The main ~ of water has been diverted to a new course.
▪ join
▪ measure
FLOW + NOUN
▪ rate
▪
The ~ rate was measured at 9.5 gallons per second.
▪ chart , diagram
PREPOSITION
▪ against the ~
▪
They have to swim against the ~ of the river.
▪ ~ among
▪
information ~ among all the different groups
▪ ~ from
▪
First cut off the water ~ from the boiler.
▪ ~ into
▪
She joined the ~ of immigrants to the country.
▪ ~ of
▪
a constant ~ of information
▪ ~ through
▪
the ~ of data through the system
PHRASES
▪ the ebb and ~
▪
the ebb and ~ of the tide
▪
He was at the mercy of the ebb and ~ of public opinion. ( figurative )
▪ in full ~
▪
She tried to interrupt his speech, but he was already in full ~ (= talking continuously) .
▪ the rate of ~
▪
the rate of ~ of water through the pipe
II.
verb
ADVERB
▪ easily , effortlessly , freely , smoothly
▪
We talked, and the conversation ~ed freely.
▪
Wine and beer ~ed freely.
▪ seamlessly
▪
The songs ~ seamlessly into one another.
▪ gently , gracefully
▪ fast , quickly , rapidly , swiftly
▪
The river ~s very fast here.
▪ slowly , steadily
▪ naturally , nicely , well
▪
In a good production of the play, the action and the words ~ naturally.
▪ directly
▪
Some of these changes will ~ directly from the legislation.
▪ constantly , continuously
▪ away , back , in , out , past
▪ together
VERB + FLOW
▪ seem to
▪ begin to , start to
▪ continue to
▪
Imported food aid continued to ~ in.
PREPOSITION
▪ across , along , between , down
▪
a small stream that ~ed down the hillside
▪ from
▪
Blood was still ~ing from the wound.
▪ into
▪
One day seemed to ~ into the next.
▪ out of , over , through
▪
Information ~s continuously through the network.
▪ to
▪
to get blood ~ing to the brain
PHRASES
▪ ebb and ~
▪
The sea ebbed and ~ed.
▪
The number of buyers has ebbed and ~ed. ( figurative )
▪ ~ in a … direction
▪
The best thing is when ideas ~ in both directions.
▪ ~ in the breeze , ~ in the wind
▪
Her long hair ~ed in the wind as she ran.
Flow is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ adrenalin , ↑ air , ↑ beer , ↑ blood , ↑ champagne , ↑ cloak , ↑ conversation , ↑ current , ↑ electricity , ↑ hair , ↑ idea , ↑ information , ↑ liquid , ↑ music , ↑ refugee , ↑ river , ↑ saliva , ↑ sap , ↑ stream , ↑ tear , ↑ traffic , ↑ water , ↑ waterfall , ↑ wine , ↑ word