steam·roll·er
ˈstēm-ˌrō-lər 
1
: a steam-driven road roller
broadly
: road roller
2
: a crushing force especially when ruthlessly applied to overcome opposition
steam·roll·er
ˈstēm-ˌrō-lər
variants
or steamroll
steamrollered or steamrolled; steamrollering or steamrolling; steamrollers or steamrolls
1
: to overwhelm usually by greatly superior force
steamroller the opposition
2
: to bring or advance by overwhelming force or pressure
steamrollered the bill through the legislature
: to move or proceed with irresistible force
Examples of steamroller in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025
For clarity, a steamroller was an Industrial Age machine used for compacting dirt and gravel in order to create smooth surfaces upon which vehicles could drive.
—Noah Hawley, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
John Deffenbaugh, Denver Post, 22 July 2025
In the four back-to-back title-winning campaigns that preceded this season’s collapse, rivals often complained about a feeling of inevitability that each year City would just click into gear at some point and steamroller the league.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for steamroller
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Noun
For better or worse, in the name of progress, the SpaceX steamroller has rolled onward, paving all before it.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025
For clarity, a steamroller was an Industrial Age machine used for compacting dirt and gravel in order to create smooth surfaces upon which vehicles could drive.
—Noah Hawley, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
Verb
The national, state, and local design guidelines have been steamrollered – or perhaps shredded by the metaphorical bobsled hurtling down its track.
—John Deffenbaugh, Denver Post, 22 July 2025
In the four back-to-back title-winning campaigns that preceded this season’s collapse, rivals often complained about a feeling of inevitability that each year City would just click into gear at some point and steamroller the league.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for steamroller
Cite this Entry
“Steamroller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steamroller. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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