overthrow

verb

over·​throw ˌō-vər-ˈthrō 

overthrew ˌō-vər-ˈthrü  ; overthrown 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

ˈō-vər-ˌthrō 

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of overthrow in a Sentence

The quarterback overthrew his receiver.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1973, another South American coup was staged in Chile, where socialist President Salvadore Allende was overthrown by a group of military officers led by General Augusto Pinochet, who would rule until 1990. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025

Faced with the prospect of being overthrown or killed, Maduro has alternated between pleading for peace and warning the United States about his country's defense capabilities. —Davis Winkie, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

But their next drive started fortuitously, when Nix seemingly overthrew a receiver only for the ball to fall into the hands of an awaiting Marvin Mims for a 29-yard gain. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2025

The Moscow meeting was remarkable given that Russia is harboring Syria’s former president, Bashar al-Assad, whose government was overthrown by rebels led by al-Sharaa. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for overthrow

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

overthrow

verb

over·​throw -ˈthrō 

overthrew -ˈthrü  ; overthrown -ˈthrōn  ; overthrowing

1

: overturn sense 1, upset

lawn chairs overthrown by the gale

2

: defeat entry 1, destroy

a government overthrown by rebels

3

: to throw a ball over or past

overthrew second base

overthrow

ˈō-vər-ˌthrō 

noun