1
as in to subdue
to bring under one's control by force of arms
the invading army overpowered the countryside with lightning speed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
overpowered by fear of the unknown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overpower
The pork was incredibly tender and juicy, with a bold but balanced mix of spices that didn’t overpower each other.
—
Alexa Stone
january 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Then there was CharMar Brown overpowering the Rebels line with a 9-yard run on a 4th and 2 in the third quarter.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
And Detroit ultimately outlasted the Bulls because of its ability to overpower in the paint.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
And the seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint is the rare festive flavor that tastes balanced rather than overpowering.
—Samantha Leal, Refinery29, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overpower
Alexa Stone
january 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Then there was CharMar Brown overpowering the Rebels line with a 9-yard run on a 4th and 2 in the third quarter.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
And Detroit ultimately outlasted the Bulls because of its ability to overpower in the paint.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
And the seasonal White Chocolate Peppermint is the rare festive flavor that tastes balanced rather than overpowering.
—Samantha Leal, Refinery29, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overpower
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overpower
Verb
-
Nazism’s total domination politically and socially found an aesthetic counterpart in the visual reduction of bodies to things, ecstatically subdued before the hypnotic power of a leader, force, or sublime beauty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Barack Obama also availed himself of caution, reluctance and NATO partners to use air power to subdue chaos on the ground in Libya.—
John Brummett,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And she was overwhelmed by the maze of paperwork needed simply to get her off the street, much less to make any of the other things happen.—
Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Small mosaics, bold geometrics, and overused penny tiles can overwhelm a room.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After winning Oscars for their co-written screenplay Good Will Hunting in 1997, the dynamic duo continued dominating Hollywood and became the industry's favorite friends.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Young children torn away from their beloved parents and thrown into a cold, strict environment, dominated by the threat of punitive authority.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Samsung says these structural improvements allow the HP5 to overcome traditional low-light limitations.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Vance’s second biggest battle is overcoming political history, which statistically does not favor incumbent vice presidents’ chances of winning the White House.—
Myra Adams,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Skinny Pedro had conquered for each man in the camp the sacred right to choose how to confront his own death.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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That, plus some Sunday morning news interviews and a shot at conquering Cuba, and all for the bargain basement price of one soul.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Even though she was utterly devastated, a small part of her saw it as a kind of gift.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Jan. 2026
-
When the oily messenger arrives at the hotel, Lucy is confused and devastated.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Perpetrators used deception to move them across country borders and subjected them to harm under the pretense of employment.—
Mónica Ramírez,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
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From there, lab directors select the wells with the highest concentrations of each virus, subjecting a reserved portion to further genetic analysis, which shows which subtype of each virus is present.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The last meeting happened in the NFC championship game in the 2022 season, where the Eagles defeated the Niners 31-7 before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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The Mean Green's best football season ever wasn't even over before the major figures from that team left, or announced their intentions to bounce ASAP; when the season did end, moments after North Texas defeated San Diego State to win the New Mexico Bowl, is when the great Denton flood began.—
Mac Engel Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overpower.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overpower. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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