overthrow

verb over·throw \ ˌō-vər-ˈthrō \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

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Examples: overthrow in a Sentence

Definition of overthrow

overthrew play \ˌō-vər-ˈthrü\; overthrown play \ˌō-vər-ˈthrōn\; overthrowing

transitive verb

1 : overturn, upset

2 : to cause the downfall of : bring down, defeat

3 : to throw a ball over or past (something or someone, such as a base or a receiver)

—

overthrow

play \ˈō-vər-ˌthrō\ noun

See overthrow defined for English-language learners

See overthrow defined for kids

Examples of overthrow in a Sentence

The quarterback overthrew his receiver.

Recent Examples of overthrow from the Web

The neighborhood in eastern Baghdad was developed in 1959 by Prime Minister Abd al-Karim Qassem, who overthrew the country’s monarchy.

— isabel coles and ghassan adnan, WSJ, "Iraq Kingmaker’s Daunting Task: Lift the Poor of Sadr City," 3 June 2018
McKenna was with her parents at a softball field in Shell Rock, about 95 miles northeast of Des Moines, when an overthrown softball hit her in the head and left her with a skull fracture.

— alexandria hein, Fox News, "Baby hit by softball opening eyes, moving legs," 22 May 2018
After Carlos Correa overthrew a relay, Pollock collided with Bregman's legs on a slide.

— hunter atkins, Houston Chronicle, "Astros' A.J. Hinch calls MLB searching for answers after questionable call against Diamondbacks," 7 May 2018
Nick Palummo led off the bottom of the third with a double and scored on a ball put into play by Dalton Smith when the Tigers overthrew during a rundown with Palummo between second and third.

— nate bryan, The Courier-Journal, "St. Xavier bashes its way by PRP in battle of double top-ranked teams," 2 May 2018
The end of Reconstruction is often spoken of in psychological terms, as a collapse of white Americans’ nerve, or as a failure of Republican political will, when in cold truth Reconstruction did not fail so much as it was overthrown.

— allen c. guelzo, Time, "Reconstruction Didn't Fail. It Was Overthrown," 30 Apr. 2018
Neilan then stepped up and singled a ground ball to the Raiders’ Curtis who overthrew first base, ultimately giving Roque and Smith the chance to steal home and score two more runs.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "Timber Creek baseball blanks St. Thomas Aquinas," 7 Apr. 2018
Like two of Mueller’s previous targets, Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates, the lawyer—a man named Alex Van Der Zwaan—had done work for Ukraine’s previous, pro-Russia government, which was overthrown in a popular uprising in 2014.

— ben schreckinger, GQ, "How Mueller’s Latest Indictment Relates to the Steele Dossier," 20 Feb. 2018
More than 16 years after the U.S. helped overthrow the group, the Taliban is making gains across the country, prompting a boost in U.S. troops in the country.

— tony brown, NBC News, "U.S. targets Chinese Uighur militants as well as Taliban fighters in Afghanistan," 8 Feb. 2018

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

First Known Use of overthrow

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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Synonym Discussion of overthrow

conquer, vanquish, defeat, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow mean to get the better of by force or strategy. conquer implies gaining mastery of.

- Caesar conquered Gaul

vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

- vanquished the enemy and ended the war

defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

- the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

- subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

- the city was reduced after a month-long siege

overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

- overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

- violently overthrew the old regime

Other Field and Goal Sports Terms

crease, lateral, lax, playbook, post, screen, scrum, secondary, ultimate

OVERTHROW Defined for English Language Learners

overthrow

verb

Definition of overthrow for English Language Learners

: to remove (someone or something) from power especially by force
sports : to throw a ball over or past (someone)

OVERTHROW Defined for Kids

overthrow

verb over·throw \ ˌō-vər-ˈthrō \

Definition of overthrow for Students

overthrew \-ˈthrü\; overthrown \-ˈthrōn\; overthrowing

1 : overturn 1

Wind overthrew the flower pots.

2 : to cause the fall or end of : destroy

Rebels overthrew the government.

overthrow

noun over·throw \ ˈō-vər-ˌthrō \

Definition of overthrow for Students

: an act of causing the fall or end of : the state of being overthrown : defeat

Learn More about overthrow

See words that rhyme with overthrow Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for overthrow Spanish Central: Translation of overthrow Nglish: Translation of overthrow for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of overthrow for Arabic speakers

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overthrow

Definition of overthrow

overthrow

Examples of overthrow in a Sentence

Recent Examples of overthrow from the Web

First Known Use of overthrow

Synonym Discussion of overthrow

Other Field and Goal Sports Terms

OVERTHROW Defined for English Language Learners

overthrow

Definition of overthrow for English Language Learners

OVERTHROW Defined for Kids

overthrow

Definition of overthrow for Students

overthrow

Definition of overthrow for Students

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