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
Until recently, the state even subsidized e-bike purchases, but wisely pulled the plug on that costly and overburdened program.
—
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
But the ERRs report being overburdened, not least by the hardships in communicating with funders.
—Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The goal is not to overburden staff, but to ensure work is structured as efficiently and effectively as possible.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 26 Jan. 2026
For decades, business leaders have complained that California’s regulatory climate has overburdened companies across the state, blaming a morass of rules, permits and paperwork for pushing businesses and jobs out of state and holding back economic growth.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overburden
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
But the ERRs report being overburdened, not least by the hardships in communicating with funders.
—Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The goal is not to overburden staff, but to ensure work is structured as efficiently and effectively as possible.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 26 Jan. 2026
For decades, business leaders have complained that California’s regulatory climate has overburdened companies across the state, blaming a morass of rules, permits and paperwork for pushing businesses and jobs out of state and holding back economic growth.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overburden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overburden
Verb
-
They'll often be triggered if a player kills an enormous number of enemies in a short time, or overloads the screen with complex physics like hundreds of items or explosions.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
In late 2022, overloaded presale queues for the domestic leg of Swift’s 2023 Eras Tour caused the site to crash and led Ticketmaster to cancel the sale.—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Its still waiting to load up and head to Bangladesh.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
A little more than two weeks later, Nguyen and her family were loaded on a plane, landing eventually in Southern California.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Committee members were split on proposals to close schools — divided between the belief that campuses with few students burden staff and provide limited resources, and the worry that combining small schools will create overcrowding, split communities and harm students.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
With potential property tax cuts on the horizon, Palm Beach County officials are considering creative new sources of revenue that won’t burden taxpayers.—
Abigail Hasebroock,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overburden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overburden. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
