1
as in defeating
to achieve a victory over
the baseball team finally overcame their opponents in the 13th inning
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overwhelming
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
already under stress, she was overcome by news of a death in the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overcoming
More Than One Way to Survive in Business Entrepreneurs have been positioned to accept that overcoming the competition is the only way to succeed in business, but there may be other paths forward.
—
Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 1 May 2026
The Blackbeard project aims to achieve all this while overcoming the obstacles that have hindered previous attempts at hypersonic weaponry.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
The 28-year-old delivered one of his most productive games since his return Sunday night, overcoming a 1-for-8 first half to finish with 30 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in Game 4 against Philadelphia.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Cassie overcoming her daddy issues, leaving Nate, and being successful.
—Zoë Haylock, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Finally, in overcoming this vexing moment, the two would establish a painterly repartee that altered the trajectory of their own work and, by extension, modern art.
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
In July 2023, Barker shared that he's made big strides in overcoming his crippling fear of flying after the crash and credited his wife Kourtney Kardashian.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
But overcoming perceptions that lithium-ion battery technology is inherently dangerous has proven challenging, and developers sometimes fuel mistrust by dismissing residents’ concerns about fire, toxic threats and the industrialization of natural landscapes.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
The plot still cries out for a flow chart, but the powerhouse fusion of Michele, Tveit and Christopher, overcoming all obstacles, has made this production one of the seismic events of the Broadway season.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 1 May 2026
The Blackbeard project aims to achieve all this while overcoming the obstacles that have hindered previous attempts at hypersonic weaponry.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
The 28-year-old delivered one of his most productive games since his return Sunday night, overcoming a 1-for-8 first half to finish with 30 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in Game 4 against Philadelphia.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Cassie overcoming her daddy issues, leaving Nate, and being successful.
—Zoë Haylock, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Finally, in overcoming this vexing moment, the two would establish a painterly repartee that altered the trajectory of their own work and, by extension, modern art.
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
In July 2023, Barker shared that he's made big strides in overcoming his crippling fear of flying after the crash and credited his wife Kourtney Kardashian.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
But overcoming perceptions that lithium-ion battery technology is inherently dangerous has proven challenging, and developers sometimes fuel mistrust by dismissing residents’ concerns about fire, toxic threats and the industrialization of natural landscapes.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
The plot still cries out for a flow chart, but the powerhouse fusion of Michele, Tveit and Christopher, overcoming all obstacles, has made this production one of the seismic events of the Broadway season.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overcoming
Verb
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Swalwell won his congressional race, defeating a 40-year incumbent more than double his age, and grew his national profile by connecting with young voters on social media.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
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In all, according to a tally from AdImpact, nearly $7 million has been spent on TV ads this year in Indiana state senate races, the bulk of it aimed at defeating the Republicans who voted against the redrawn congressional maps.—
Tamara Keith,
NPR,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The problem is magnified when Hezbollah launches multiple drones at once, potentially overwhelming a system that’s not fully up to the task of identifying the incoming drones.—
Charbel Mallo,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
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The Parmesan ranch of it all also didn't disappoint; the flavor mix was expectedly savory and crowd-pleasing, but balanced and never overwhelming the true star of it all—the potato.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Pig organs are similar enough in size and function to humans', but transplanting entire organs was completely out of reach until about a decade ago when scientists began mastering gene editing well enough to breed pigs whose organs are less likely to be rejected by the human immune system.—
Karen Weintraub,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
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But there’s a real satisfaction in watching Ohm figure out the suite’s unique conveniences, run by analog systems of pulleys and levers, confronting the terrors within and mastering them for his survival.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
Verb
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House Republicans approved the resolution last month despite conservationists’ warnings that the move would lead to devastating pollution in one of the country’s last remaining wild areas.—
Todd Richmond,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
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Two tornadoes ripped through west Michigan on April 14, devastating a family dairy farm in Fenick, releasing hundreds of cows and leaving thousands without power.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Built by Blueprint Construction with structural engineering by Design Point, the East River Residence demonstrates that conquering challenging terrain sometimes means floating above it.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 Apr. 2026
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One after another, the avatars of Democratic success in Georgia took the stage Saturday and were greeted like conquering heroes by hundreds of party faithful at the annual Carter-Lewis gala.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That includes physicists at the University of Manchester, who were intrigued by the difference between crushing an empty soda can versus one that is full of liquid.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
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Often, amid the scramble of a breaking story or a crushing deadline, a cool, smiling Chardy would shrug and utter the mantra that came to define him to his Herald colleagues.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The sun was beating down on me.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The Wild’s penalty-killers pounced, starting a rush the other way that ended with Marcus Foligno beating Scott Wedgewood for a 5-4 Wild lead — Minnesota’s third straight goal and its third of the period.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Harry and Meghan stepped back from their senior royal roles in 2020 due to media intrusion and racist coverage, eventually taking residence in Canada and, later, California, with their two children – Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Brown said Atlanta was taking away the Knicks’ spray game, which made the answer simpler.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overcoming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overcoming. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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