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

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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
Both were overwhelmed on Saturday, and Swinney didn’t commit to who would start going forward. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Hassouna and co-editor Denis LePaven pace the chronological patchwork of footage less as a story with a predestined shape, and more as shifting tiles of accumulating losses that the audience can traverse without being too overwhelmed. — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
In August 1975, extreme rainfall associated with Typhoon Nina overwhelmed the Banqiao Reservoir Dam in China’s Henan Province. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026 There would be cheers and tears and, for a little while, a family overwhelmed by medical appointments and life-and-death worries would get to think about something else. — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 5 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
  • 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
  • That bewildered shake of the head after Meyer's pitch in that video is not a rare occurrence for Raleigh this year.
    — Eno Sarris, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • In addition to offering a deeper understanding of how developments within both Ukraine and Russia led to the 2022 invasion, Miller also richly evokes many places in eastern Ukraine, such as Bakhmut, before they were devastated by Russian artillery.
    — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Allan was among the Kauai locals for whom Lowell has brought back memories of Hurricane Iniki, which devastated the area in 1992.
    — Brian Dakss, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastated
Verb
  • While images of destruction flooded social media, 68-year-old Chris White, a lifelong resident of Kauai and the owner of a rental home in Poipu, noted that much of the island was spared significant damage.
    — GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • This week, warnings about RSI flooded social media from researchers at both leading labs, following Jacob Coxon's explosive resignation.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of flooded
Adjective
  • Their ceremony was spare, with only a few urns filled with dusty pink and peach roses, while dinner featured loads of thin white candles set in bronzed candelabra at staggered heights.
    — Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The measures, which are still in the early phases and subject to significant changes over the next few months, will be introduced via a staggered rollout period, according to the report.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of staggered
Verb
  • The Bulls overcame a sloppy night penalty-wise, being flagged 15 times for 140 yards, including two penalties that wiped out touchdowns.
    — Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Maye overcame the first two picks to drive the Patriots into position to tie or take the lead in the final minute.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of overcame
Verb
  • As Lower Manhattan was engulfed in dust and debris from the remnants of both towers, first responders and survivors were forced to breathe in toxic air.
    — Angelica Stabile , Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • China launched a campaign against fire hazards in high-rise buildings in November after a huge blaze engulfed several residential tower blocks in Hong Kong, killing 168 people.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of engulfed
Adjective
  • Fernández’s adaptation is anxious to turn tragedy into a sermon, offering theatergoers moral solace where Sophocles leaves his audience in a contemplative state of stunned silence.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • What happened next — footage of a stunned DeLonge, Hoppus, and Barker on set watching President Bush’s address after the attacks— aired later that week on MTV News.
    — Sarah Shanfield, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of stunned
Verb
  • Photos from the scene show emergency service responders on the side of the road surrounding the vehicle, which had a broken windshield and crushed hood.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, crushed its mainstream rivals but fell just short of a majority in the eastern Saxony-Anhalt region.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 7 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 12 Sep. 2026.

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