steamroller

1 of 2

noun

steam·​roll·​er ˈstēm-ˌrō-lər How to pronounce steamroller (audio)
1
: a steam-driven road roller
broadly : road roller
2
: a crushing force especially when ruthlessly applied to overcome opposition

steamroller

2 of 2

verb

steam·​roll·​er ˈstēm-ˌrō-lər How to pronounce steamroller (audio)
variants or steamroll
steamrollered or steamrolled; steamrollering or steamrolling; steamrollers or steamrolls

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to move or proceed with irresistible force

Examples of steamroller in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Once the steamrollers evened out the crushed limestone track, a final coat of a coal tar binding agent was applied and the track was ready for racing. Dawn Mitchell, The Indianapolis Star, 22 May 2024 As a social-climbing hustler trying to gain access to an exclusive country club, Kristen Wiig plays Palm Royale’s Maxine like a steamroller. Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
By producing at scale with close vertical integration with component makers, DJI have succeeded in building highly capable, good quality drones that few competitors can match, steamrollering the U.S. consumer drone industry in the process. David Hambling, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024 She’s been hip-checked, hammered, steamrollered and smothered. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for steamroller 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'steamroller.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1879, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of steamroller was in 1863

Dictionary Entries Near steamroller

Cite this Entry

“Steamroller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steamroller. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

steamroller

noun
steam·​roll·​er
ˈstēm-ˈrō-lər
: a machine formerly driven by steam that has wide heavy rollers for pressing down and smoothing roads

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