overpower

over·pow·er | \ ˌō-vər-ˈpau̇(-ə)r

How to pronounce overpower (audio)

\

overpowered; overpowering; overpowers

Definition of overpower

transitive verb

1 : to overcome by superior force : subdue

2 : to affect with overwhelming intensity the stench overpowered us

3 : to provide with more power than is needed or desirable a dangerously overpowered car

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Examples of overpower in a Sentence

She was able to overpower her attacker. The police overpowered the man and handcuffed him. The troops were overpowered by the stronger enemy forces. His personality overpowers everyone else's. The delicate taste of the wine was overpowered by the spiciness of the food.

Recent Examples on the Web The Ravens have a strong running game led by Mark Ingram II, but the offensive line, especially in the middle, is suspect and can be overpowered. — Mike Preston, baltimoresun.com, "Preston: Lamar Jackson is the Ravens’ No. 1 weapon and will carry the team if he stays consistent," 16 Sep. 2019 Too many dishes falter in similar ways — indifferently cooked, bluntly flavored or overpowered by too many ingredients. — Patricia Escárcega, latimes.com, "Review: The Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens suffers from convoluted cooking," 19 June 2019 Fourteen people were killed and 18 wounded as nearly 800 mounted Confederates overpowered the 350 men of the town’s federal garrison. — USA TODAY, "Fugitive pig, proverb library, sodium warnings: News from around our 50 states," 16 Sep. 2019 Oklahoma State rolled up 555 yards total offense and scored at will while overpowering the Beavers 52-36 before an announced crowd of 31,681. — oregonlive, "Goe: Oregon State Beavers are defenseless in a season-opening loss to Oklahoma State," 31 Aug. 2019 The word itself — micro-transactions — has become one the industry is reticent to say because the subject almost always overpowers all others. — Todd Martens, latimes.com, "E3 2019: Is the video game industry ready for pop-culture saturation?," 10 June 2019 Medium-intensity lighting is used for drawers and interior cabinet lighting because high-intensity light could overpower the small space. — Maria Frank, Houston Chronicle, "GHBA Remodelers Council: Integrated lighting," 6 Apr. 2018 Ball State overpowered Fordham on its own turf (57-29) and tied a school record by completing six touchdowns in a game. — Alicia Kortendick, cleveland.com, "Ball State football vs Florida Atlantic: How to watch, live stream, TV channel and kickoff time," 14 Sep. 2019 From the opening whistle, San Jose overpowered Orlando City, pressing players high up the field and slipping attackers behind the back line to stretch the Lions thin. — Julia Poe, Pro Soccer USA, "Three things we learned from Orlando City’s 3-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes," 3 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overpower.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for overpower

Last Updated

27 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for overpower

The first known use of overpower was in 1597

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More Definitions for overpower

overpower

verb

English Language Learners Definition of overpower

: to defeat or gain control of (someone or something) by using force

: to affect (someone) very strongly or severely

: to have more strength, force, or effect than (someone or something)

See the full definition for overpower in the English Language Learners Dictionary

overpower

over·pow·er | \ ˌō-vər-ˈpau̇-ər

\

overpowered; overpowering

Kids Definition of overpower

1 : to overcome by greater force : defeat The enemy was overpowered.

2 : to affect by being too strong The odor overpowered us.

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