1
as in to subdue
to bring under one's control by force of arms
the invading army overpowered the countryside with lightning speed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
overpowered by fear of the unknown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overpower
Cloves have a pungent scent that’s wonderful in spice cakes but overpowering for a mouse.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2026
And the seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint is the rare festive flavor that tastes balanced rather than overpowering.
—Samantha Leal, Refinery29, 6 Jan. 2026
The result is a malleable, intimate scent that feels uniquely yours, making an impression only when someone is close enough to notice—an understated olfactory statement that won’t overpower the room.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025
Bold colors like bright yellow, dark purple, and teal often overpower rooms and feel too intense.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overpower
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2026
And the seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint is the rare festive flavor that tastes balanced rather than overpowering.
—Samantha Leal, Refinery29, 6 Jan. 2026
The result is a malleable, intimate scent that feels uniquely yours, making an impression only when someone is close enough to notice—an understated olfactory statement that won’t overpower the room.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025
Bold colors like bright yellow, dark purple, and teal often overpower rooms and feel too intense.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overpower
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overpower
Verb
-
Nazism’s total domination politically and socially found an aesthetic counterpart in the visual reduction of bodies to things, ecstatically subdued before the hypnotic power of a leader, force, or sublime beauty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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Barack Obama also availed himself of caution, reluctance and NATO partners to use air power to subdue chaos on the ground in Libya.—
John Brummett,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Duncyte, the master’s student from Lithuania, said she was immediately overwhelmed by Colorado’s beauty and wildlife.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
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Families will drop their plans, get sicker and even die without essential treatment, and hospitals will be overwhelmed with untreated people coming to the emergency room.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On the other hand, the Panthers haven’t truly been able to establish the run in a month, and that was the key to dominating the possession battle and keeping the ball away from Sean McVay’s offense.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
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While energy and transportation dominate the conversation, factory farming remains a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution and biodiversity loss.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Samsung says these structural improvements allow the HP5 to overcome traditional low-light limitations.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
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Vance’s second biggest battle is overcoming political history, which statistically does not favor incumbent vice presidents’ chances of winning the White House.—
Myra Adams,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Having conquered the pop world with ease, Rosalía is now embracing difficulty.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Toyota may be struggling against Tesla in the global EV sweepstakes, but Hello Kitty is conquering the world.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Group members want to see Bonta’s office take ownership of a review, as occurred in Hawaii after Maui’s devastating Lahaina fire.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The regime’s regional proxies have been devastated.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Perpetrators used deception to move them across country borders and subjected them to harm under the pretense of employment.—
Mónica Ramírez,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
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From there, lab directors select the wells with the highest concentrations of each virus, subjecting a reserved portion to further genetic analysis, which shows which subtype of each virus is present.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The last meeting happened in the NFC championship game in the 2022 season, where the Eagles defeated the Niners 31-7 before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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The Mean Green's best football season ever wasn't even over before the major figures from that team left, or announced their intentions to bounce ASAP; when the season did end, moments after North Texas defeated San Diego State to win the New Mexico Bowl, is when the great Denton flood began.—
Mac Engel Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overpower.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overpower. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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