as in to overload
to fill or load to excess
it is important that you bring on the hike plenty of food and water, but don't overburden your pack with unnecessary gear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 overburden
There are moments when the book, in defending Giacometti, seems to overburden his oeuvre with an exponential set of aesthetic, intellectual, and political problems, from resolving the tensions between modernism and the avant-garde to a singular working through of national trauma.
—
Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Already, the department is overburdened, leaving the responsibility for handling many attacks by wolves and other predators to local law enforcement, said David Bess, a retired chief of CDFW’s enforcement division.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Under the plan, people pay more during peak times and less when the grid is not overburdened.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Security concerns and overburdening the area also contributed to the Rose Bowl’s limited schedule.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overburden
Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Already, the department is overburdened, leaving the responsibility for handling many attacks by wolves and other predators to local law enforcement, said David Bess, a retired chief of CDFW’s enforcement division.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Under the plan, people pay more during peak times and less when the grid is not overburdened.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
Security concerns and overburdening the area also contributed to the Rose Bowl’s limited schedule.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overburden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overburden
Verb
-
Plugging those items into a standard strip can overload the device and create a fire hazard.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
-
By involving engineering, operations, security and product teams, organizations can identify hidden risks early without leaving reliability only to overloaded SRE teams after incidents occur.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The iXi trolley uses two cameras and GPS that’s pre-loaded with maps of more than 40,000 courses to autonomously steer itself, with players able to issue commands via hand gestures or voice control.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
-
The Paragon finds home on a Ford F-350, but rather than load in a bunch of extras from the gate, Supertramp keeps the base price down by making those extras optional.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Ultimately, my focus is on ensuring that working families in San José, especially in District 5, are not disproportionately burdened by rising energy costs, while still investing in the infrastructure needed for a reliable and resilient energy system.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
The government's general rule of thumb is to spend no more than 30% of gross income on housing, including rent or mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and utilities, to avoid being cost burdened.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overburden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overburden. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
