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overwhelmed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of overwhelmednext
as in bewildered

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overwhelmed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of overwhelm
1
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
2
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
Parents on advisory boards also talked about feeling overwhelmed by competing demands, stress and concerns about teens’ well-being. — Crystal Cederna, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026 Nadolski said feeling overwhelmed with the volume of material – and the work that needs to be done to document it – is not unusual. — Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
Then there is smell, dulled by our reliance on artificial fragrance; and sound, overwhelmed by notification pings. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026 People indicated they were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of news, and in some cases felt isolated. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelmed
  1. bewildered
  2. devastated
  3. flooded
  4. staggered
  5. overcame
  6. engulfed
  7. stunned
  8. crushed
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
  • Palestinian farmer Saad Nemer of Fasayil said the water being cut off has devastated his fields, adding that his family has documents that prove ownership of the land.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Much of the worry from locals came from hurricanes in past years that devastated cities along the Pacific coast.
    — MEGAN JANETSKY, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastated
Verb
  • Rain on Tuesday flooded several roads and prompted water rescues near Mora, New Mexico, northeast of Santa Fe, where the town's high school was also flooded.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Fellow analysts flooded social media with an outpouring of praise.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of flooded
Adjective
  • Other nations, which do not, are elected by the General Assembly rotate in and out every two years on a staggered basis.
    — Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Wilson wears pendant necklaces at staggered lengths against a plunging red halter neckline, with a sheer red veil pulled across her face in several shots.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of staggered
Verb
  • Saturday’s game showed a team that overcame both mental and physical hurdles.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Yet Johncock, who started 11th, overcame the chaos and was one of just two cars on the lead lap when more rain forced the race to be stopped.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 29 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
  • This left us a little stunned wondering how large and coordinated the attack might be.
    — Daniel Jernigan, STAT, 26 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of stunned
Verb
  • The whole cruise complex has been crushed during this time period, weighed down by high oil prices.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In June, an 85-year old retired statistician who loved taking long walks in nature was killed in a freak accident when a sudden summer storm toppled a tree that crushed him in a Queens park.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of crushed

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Cite this Entry

“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelmed. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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