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
Zuzana Říhová, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
Colors of the Alphabet offers sensory swings, a steamroller slide, and a space themed sensory room, for example.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 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
But Bohumila knows that what Marcela’s really telling her is how, even just for a little while, vodka and bad beer slow down the steamroller of a life laden with loneliness and desperation.
—Zuzana Říhová, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
Colors of the Alphabet offers sensory swings, a steamroller slide, and a space themed sensory room, for example.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 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 13 Oct. 2025.
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