Memories flooded back like a tidal wave.

Meaning: This sentence means that the memories came back suddenly and strongly.

Choice of Words: Memories are thoughts or feelings about past experiences. Flooded means to fill or cover with water. Tidal means relating to the tides. Wave is a large body of water that moves across the surface of the ocean. When you say "Memories flooded back like a tidal wave," you mean memories came back suddenly and powerfully.

Alternative Expressions

Memories came rushing back like a mighty river.

Meaning: This means that many thoughts or images of past events came back to someone's mind suddenly and with great force. It's like saying, Many thoughts or images of past events came back to someone's mind suddenly and with great force.

Choice of Words: Memories are thoughts or images of past events. Came rushing back means to return suddenly and with great force. Mighty river is a large, powerful river. When you put them together, "Memories came rushing back like a mighty river" means that many memories came back to someone's mind suddenly and with great force.

Memories surged forward like an unstoppable ocean.

Meaning: This means that many thoughts or images of past events came back to someone's mind suddenly and with great force. It's like saying, Many thoughts or images of past events came back to someone's mind suddenly and with great force.

Choice of Words: Memories are thoughts or images of past events. Surged forward means to move forward suddenly and with great force. Unstoppable ocean is a large, powerful ocean that cannot be stopped. When you put them together, "Memories surged forward like an unstoppable ocean" means that many memories came back to someone's mind suddenly and with great force.

Related Expressions