as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
the student was overmastered by the stress of taking the college placement test and broke down crying
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 overmaster
Passion is an intense, driving or overmastering feeling or conviction.
—
Bird Brown, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 8 Dec. 2019
Jesus’ Son is about the force of addiction and the only thing that can overmaster it: the ecstatic experience of God.
—Longreads, 17 June 2017
Bird Brown, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 8 Dec. 2019
Jesus’ Son is about the force of addiction and the only thing that can overmaster it: the ecstatic experience of God.
—Longreads, 17 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overmaster
Verb
-
But courts were overwhelmed by a flood of asylum seekers—a long-standing systemic shortage exacerbated by Biden’s inclusive policies.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
And the first-half performance in Seville, as Postecoglou’s side overwhelmed a very strong Real Betis, was enough to prompt a huge sense of positivity.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But to restore the city’s community gathering place, Sunrise Mall must overcome a wary economy and consumers’ disinterest in brick-and-mortar retail.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
25 Sep. 2025
-
In the 2023 season, however, the Panthers stunned the Eagles in a regional semifinal playoff game, overcoming a 10-point deficit in the final five minutes.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Her journey has brought her to Cloonboo, a town devastated by the Great Famine that ravaged the land between 1845 and 1852.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Related Stories Fans were devastated to hear that Cavill was not going to continue with the series.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overmaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overmaster. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share