overthrow

play

verb over·throw \ˌō-vər-ˈthrō\

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

To the extent that the Bolivarian Revolution has problems, the solution to them won’t come from chats with those looking to overthrow it, but rather the organization of workers trying to fulfill its potential.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "100 Years After the Bolshevik Revolution, Communism Hasn’t Changed", 28 June 2017
The Handmaid's Tale' Hulu's adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 1985 dystopian novel is about a young woman forced into sex slavery by the new ultra-religious military dictatorship that has overthrown the U.S. government and eradicated women's rights.

— mehera bonner, Marie Claire, "These Are the Best TV Shows of 2017", 27 June 2017
Maduro’s administration says the street demonstrations are aimed at overthrowing the government.

— joshua partlow, Washington Post, "In Venezuela, prisoners say abuse is so bad they are forced to eat pasta mixed with excrement", 24 June 2017
North Korea accuses Washington and South Korea of sending spies to overthrow its government.

— Bloomberg.com, "U.S. Student Freed by North Korea in a Coma Has Died at 22", 19 June 2017
North Korea accuses Washington and South Korea of sending spies to overthrow its government.

— christina beck, The Christian Science Monitor, "North Korea releases US college student accused of anti-state acts", 14 June 2017
History is littered with scores, even hundreds of examples of coups d'état, revolutions, rebellions and revolts, assassinations, murders, and other ways of overthrowing a monarch, including imprisonment and banishment.

— chicagotribune.com, "The Madness of King Donald", 14 June 2017
North Korea believes its missile program is the only way to deter Washington from trying to overthrow the Kim regime.

— nicole gaouette, CNN, "Exclusive: Dennis Rodman heading to North Korea", 12 June 2017
Turkey and Qatar have both provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and backed rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

— Fox News, "Report: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson calls Turkish counterpart to discuss blockade against Qatar", 11 June 2017

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

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