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

In late September, a similar vessel that was also overloaded capsized in the Mona Passage, killing three people. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026 Wash your quilt by itself in a front-loading machine, taking care not to overload the machine. — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 19 Oct. 2026

Noun

New York — As a new mom-to-be, my social media feeds have clocked me — funneling endless videos my way about pregnancy, nursery prep and birth stories, to the point of baby information overload. — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Genetic predispositions to sensory overload, which is often experienced by people with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder, can put someone on this path early in life. — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overload

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overload

Verb

Keeping the ship flying night after night took around 100 roadies and stagehands, who had to disassemble it, load it up, haul it to the next city and reassemble it after every gig.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 5 Nov. 2026
Crude oil tankers are docked and loaded at the Bajo Grande oil terminal on Lake Maracaibo in San Francisco, Zulia state, Venezuela, on September 1, 2026.

— Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of load

Noun

Lydia obviously provides some support, ballast and encouragement, determination for him.

— Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
The Coast Guard then escorted the Grace to Progreso, Mexico, where a Mexican Navy inspection team confirmed large quantities of fuel in the ship’s ballast tanks.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of ballast

Verb

Northeast Kansas City residents have expressed concerns about lack of community feedback and concentrating homeless services in certain areas, potentially overburdening a few neighborhoods rather than spreading services out more throughout the city.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026
Even when Murray is available — which was almost every game last year — Adelman’s goal is not to overburden the star guard.

— Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of overburden

Noun

Villalba soon apologized and said that the fuel surcharge was voluntary.

— Shayla Love, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
On Wednesday, a state appeals court overturned a lower-court ruling that had ordered New York City to redo parts of the plan to tax certain high-value secondary residences, allowing the Mamdani administration to move ahead with the surcharge.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of surcharge

Noun

The discoverer also names the packages buildroot and yocto as being affected, but that isn’t yet confirmed.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026
Networks like Spectrum do not include streaming apps directly with standalone mobile plans, as entertainment benefits are instead tied to Spectrum TV and internet packages.

— Sophie Dunne, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of package

Noun

Mosgrave will include a card in each club shipment explaining what’s included, with some background on the producers.

— Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Any war in the Pacific would bring with it massive risk premiums for maritime shipment insurance that might cause shipping firms to balk.

— JOEL WUTHNOW, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of shipment

Noun

While growers have been implementing these practices for years, the program adds a layer of verification and documentation, alongside bale-level traceability.

— SJ Studio, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026
The captain and seven crew members were rescued, and Nantucket residents spent two weeks recovering hundreds of bales of cotton.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of bale

Browse Nearby Words

overlies

overload

overloaded

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Overload.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overload. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of overload

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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