as in dominating
the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control
the overpowering of much of Europe by the Nazis during World War II
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in subduing
to bring under one's control by force of arms
the invading army overpowered the countryside with lightning speed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overwhelming
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
overpowered by fear of the unknown
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in irresistible
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overpowering
Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
While Skenes made his MLB debut last year after only 12 overpowering minor-league starts, Waldrep was merely mortal in 46 outings in the Braves’ farm system.
—Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2025
The action kicked off Thursday night with the Green Bay Packers overpowering the Washington Commanders and progresses to Sunday’s 13 contests before concluding with a Monday night doubleheader.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
The interference has included both jamming—overpowering communications with strong radio signals—and spoofing, which tricks receivers into misreading their location or even the time.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Eos Fragrance Free Body Lotion Many body lotions have overpowering scents that can make anyone's eyes water.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 29 Aug. 2025
Rounding out the palette, chalky green trim (Paint & Paper Library Willow V) frames the room without overpowering it.
—Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
The orchestra, faithfully recreating ABBA’s arrangements, can be a bit loud, at times overpowering the vocal performances, especially Amy Weaver’s.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2025
This is a very smooth, drinkable wheat with low carbonation and just the right amount of orange sweetness without being overpowering.
—Gary Stoller, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Once in the body, CO molecules hijack your red blood cells, overpowering oxygen in the bloodstream and shutting off critical O2 supply to the brain, heart and other organs.
—New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
Etzel scored later on a wild pitch — but Tolle retired 15 straight batters after the leadoff hit to conclude his latest overpowering outing.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
While Skenes made his MLB debut last year after only 12 overpowering minor-league starts, Waldrep was merely mortal in 46 outings in the Braves’ farm system.
—Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Just one or two sprays are enough to leave a lasting impression with longevity and sillage that envelops without overpowering.
—Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2025
The action kicked off Thursday night with the Green Bay Packers overpowering the Washington Commanders and progresses to Sunday’s 13 contests before concluding with a Monday night doubleheader.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
The interference has included both jamming—overpowering communications with strong radio signals—and spoofing, which tricks receivers into misreading their location or even the time.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Eos Fragrance Free Body Lotion Many body lotions have overpowering scents that can make anyone's eyes water.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 29 Aug. 2025
Rounding out the palette, chalky green trim (Paint & Paper Library Willow V) frames the room without overpowering it.
—Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
The orchestra, faithfully recreating ABBA’s arrangements, can be a bit loud, at times overpowering the vocal performances, especially Amy Weaver’s.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2025
This is a very smooth, drinkable wheat with low carbonation and just the right amount of orange sweetness without being overpowering.
—Gary Stoller, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Once in the body, CO molecules hijack your red blood cells, overpowering oxygen in the bloodstream and shutting off critical O2 supply to the brain, heart and other organs.
—New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overpowering
Noun
-
Despite having three new starters on the offensive line, Winchester dictated the pace, which led to a dominating performance from senior captain Gianni DePrimeo, who ran for five touchdowns.—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters has set several records over its pop culture-dominating run in the summer.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Giants won in all kinds of encouraging ways while subduing the wild-card-leading Cubs in a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
-
The two also showed a demonstration of what a K9 takedown looks like, with Humphries acting as a target and K9 Bob subduing him.—
Richard Requena,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
These modern takes on bright red will still provide warmth and drama to the room without overwhelming the space or clashing with other design elements.—
Tessa Cooper,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Sep. 2025
-
At Proenza Schouler and Tory Burch, red was woven into textural details that demanded attention without overwhelming the garment—on bags, shoes, jumpers, dresses, and shorts.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The entire cast is irresistible, though.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Across from Pop’s Patties, Coco Bred offers another irresistible bite—a soft and slightly sweet coco bread with a topping of your choice.—
Marc Williams,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Dry riverbeds, or wadis, that once flowed into or out of the Nile provided land routes of trade, conquest and mining expeditions from the Nile River to the Red Sea.—
Vanessa Taylor,
Big Think,
25 Sep. 2025
-
That realization became the seed of her writing on slow dating, which reframes love as an unfolding rather than a conquest.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After years of expanding their control over towns in the Lower Artibonite region, the armed group has now set its sights on conquering the Northwest, where Bassin Bleu is a gateway, and the port city of Port-de-Paix is the capital.—
Ychmuth Corneille,
Miami Herald,
21 Sep. 2025
-
No doubt fans would embrace the arena evolution as simply the next rung on the band’s inevitable, world-conquering trajectory.—
Daniel Kohn,
Rolling Stone,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This impact triggered a tsunami up to 100 meters (328 feet) high, devastating the area and causing the creation of the Silverpit crater.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Sep. 2025
-
The disaster claimed at least 85 lives and destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings, devastating most of the town of Paradise.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Morgan Pope continued her domination of the game and further cemented herself as the favorite to win season 27.—
Christopher Kuhagen,
jsonline.com,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Pure domination at the line of scrimmage to create chaos all over the field.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overpowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overpowering. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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