OVER WHELMED Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

overwhelmed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of overwhelmed

as in bewildered

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

overwhelmed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of overwhelm

as in devastated

to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress just the thought of how much work there is to do overwhelms me

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in flooded

to cover with a flood that spring the massive runoff from melting snows overwhelmed the valley

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of overwhelmed

Adjective

Bain, who played only six snaps in the preseason, looked unprepared and overwhelmed in Week 1. — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026 In the video, Villatoro and her family laughed while dealing with a situation that had left them stressed and overwhelmed. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026

Verb

In one Ohio township, fire fighters reported being overwhelmed by the high volume of calls to two local data center campuses. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026 After more than 24,000 residents filed claims, the regional water authority denied all of them, arguing that extreme rainfall had overwhelmed the system and made flooding unavoidable. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelmed

Adjective

Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
When kids first got online, parents were bewildered and alarmed, but kids, who tend to gravitate to new technology, found freedom in a space that was basically ungoverned.

— Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of bewildered

Verb

The region was also among those most severely affected by the February 2023 earthquakes that devastated southern Turkey and northern Syria.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
The horrors for women and girls are prevalent everywhere, Theron said, but her native South Africa is particularly devastated by it.

— Angelique Jackson, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of devastated

Verb

Spacious and flooded with natural light, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, the rooms lean into a soothing palette of cool grays, warm wood accents, and pops of yellow.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
Heavy downpours drenched parts of northern Broward County on Thursday, causing treacherous driving conditions as rain flooded streets and roads.

— Joan Murray, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of flooded

Adjective

The $18 million Illinois Department of Natural Resources project will close trails and features in a staggered fashion, in order to minimize impact on visitors.

— Taryn Shorr-Mckee, Midwest Living, 20 Sep. 2026
These teams will be waiting for them in October, and even baseball’s richest roster might not be enough to carry this staggered bunch through their toughest stretch.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of staggered

Verb

The Packers also overcame a scary start when wide receiver Jayden Reed and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele were carted off the field with injuries on consecutive plays on the opening drive.

— CBS New York Team, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
Earlier Sunday, Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz overcame Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic 7-5, 6-2 to hand Zverev the opportunity to send Germany to the Final 8 in Bologna, Italy, in November.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of overcame

Verb

The timing of her return surely coincides with the circumstances surrounding her near death and the grim mysteries that have engulfed the slow horses.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Milestones evoking 2007 tend to make investors squeamish, conjuring up unpleasant memories of the financial crisis that engulfed global markets in 2008.

— Fred Imbert, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of engulfed

Adjective

King seemed stunned that an actual Black person had views that did not conform to her preconception of what a Black man should think.

— Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2026
So stunned was Sarkisian that the 52-year-old coach completely forgot how to form big-boy words with his mouth.

— Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of stunned

Verb

But there are more than 600 unopened scrolls, and many in the Naples library are crushed and in fragments.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Below, during a spoiler conversation with THR, Abrams also discusses the 150-pound blood bag that nearly crushed him during his sprint through snowy Raccoon City.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of crushed

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“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelmed. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of overwhelmed

adjective

verb

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