OVERLOAD Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

overload 1 of 2

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈlōd

Definition of overload

as in to load

to fill or load to excess try not to overload your backpack, or you could end up with back problems

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

overload

2 of 2

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 overload

Verb

The anchoring Rodri and Ruiz stayed central, while their team-mates created a front five to overload France’s back line and stretch them across both touchlines. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 July 2026 Guglielmo thinks that either the original design assumptions were misunderstood, something went wrong during the design or construction process, or construction crews overloaded or weakened the structure. — ABC News, 10 July 2026

Noun

Your plants will reward you with steady, healthy growth rather than the boom-and-bust cycle that comes with fertilizer overload. — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 15 July 2026 Eustaquio chooses to cross into a central area and Bosnia clear the ball, but the idea — to draw opponents out and create an overload in one area — was sound. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for overload

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overload

Verb

After striking out with the bases loaded in the first inning, Collins delivered in one of the biggest moments.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
Jarren Duran’s two-run single with the bases loaded was followed by back-to-back bunt singles from Carlos Narváez and Tsung-Che Cheng, plating two more runs.

— Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of load

Noun

Some shouted out cult classics like Possession (1981), in which Neill provided the ballast that allowed his co-star Isabelle Adjani the chance to dive headfirst into the deep end, or the Hitchcock thriller on a boat Dead Calm (1989).

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026
The balloon was so weighed down that the men had to throw their sandbag ballast overboard just to gain the air.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026

Definition of ballast

Verb

As populations age, healthcare systems become overburdened, and governments fail to sufficiently expand or change those systems, preventing preventable diseases is more vital than ever.

— Tim Brinkhof, Time, 23 July 2026
The property tax has long been Connecticut’s Gordian knot, a seemingly intractable problem that overburdens middle- and low-income households, stymies business growth and creates great K-12 education disparities between cities and suburbs.

— Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2026

Definition of overburden

Noun

Barcelona Moves To Maximum Cruise Tax Rate On July 15, Barcelona’s deputy mayor for economic affairs, Jordi Valls, committed the city government to raising its municipal cruise passenger surcharge to the legal maximum.

— David Nikel, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, a first-offense OWI carries a penalty of $150-$300, plus a $435 OWI surcharge.

— Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of surcharge

Verb

Expect pita foldies stuffed with wagyu, ahi tuna or falafel, breakfast pitas, smash burgers, Jamaican beef patties, vegan soft serve and smoothies like the Island Love (coconut milk, ginger) and the Queen City (matcha, kale, pineapple).

— Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 21 July 2026
Now don't panic, but this recipe does require one additional step prior to stuffing tortillas with a creamy, dreamy mixture of meat and cheese.

— Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 July 2026

Definition of stuff

Noun

Spokane’s Airport Board, which is run by both the city and county, awarded its CEO David Haring a hefty compensation package after he was named to the role last August.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 26 July 2026
Investigators also seized boxes that had been resealed and were ready to ship, packages containing modeling clay instead of fragrance products, additional modeling clay, a heat gun, glue and packaging materials, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

— Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026

Definition of package

Noun

Industry shipment data highlights the widening gap between Chinese and US developers.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026
Altana’s solution pulls together shipment records, public trade data and other information companies submit about their own suppliers to trace the origin of a product’s materials.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 24 July 2026

Definition of shipment

Noun

Insist on real-time visibility before automation, on plant-wide telemetry before line-level robots and on outcomes measured in recovered tons and bale quality—not in machine uptime.

— R. Paul Singh, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Another photo showed Langley stretched across a stack of hay bales while modeling the same denim look.

— Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2026

Definition of bale

Browse Nearby Words

overlies

overload

overloaded

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Cite this Entry

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“Overload.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overload. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of overload

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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