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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overmaster
Passion is an intense, driving or overmastering feeling or conviction.
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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
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Almost any bitters can work, but Barton notes that lighter, fruit-forward flavors—like cherry, orange, or chocolate—tend to complement coffee best, while overly smoky or savory bitters can overwhelm it.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
27 Oct. 2025
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As the storm nears land, powerful winds drive that water ashore, creating walls of water that can overwhelm buildings and infrastructure.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Conversely, poor initial AI experiences create resistance that’s difficult to overcome.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
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The researchers overcame this by using molecular beam epitaxy, a precise technique for growing ultra-thin crystal layers.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The fires claimed 102 lives, displaced over 13,000 others and burned more than 3,000 homes, destroying centuries of cultural history and devastating the economy of an entire region, with losses estimated at nearly $13 billion.—
Josh Green,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
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Season 4 saw the cast confront the mysterious Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), an incredibly powerful telepath, in a battle that left Hawkins devastated and expanded the rift between the Earth and the Upside Down.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overmaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overmaster. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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