as in dominating
the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control
the overpowering of much of Europe by the Nazis during World War II
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in subduing
to bring under one's control by force of arms
the invading army overpowered the countryside with lightning speed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overwhelming
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
overpowered by fear of the unknown
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in irresistible
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overpowering
Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 13 Mar. 2025
Think of it like a duet, where both brands should enhance each other without overpowering.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Simplify with grays Designer Krista Nye Nicholas introduces curvy mosaics to bring interest without overpowering the rest of the bathroom design.
—Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 2025
Gifting buildable yet never-overpowering color, up to 24 hours of hydration, and a kissable shine, the lightweight formula is perfect for applying on the move or carefully and methodically before a big night out.
—Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 4 Mar. 2025
Verlander, 42, not only struck out Level, 17, on three pitches, but pitched him backwards, too, starting Level off with a changeup before dumping in a curveball and overpowering him with a fastball.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2025
But Strong channels the spirit of people like Jack Nicholson and James Cagney in overpowering all our dumb assumptions about naturalism and authenticity.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Don’t worry—our tester says the fragrance isn’t overpowering in the slightest.
—Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 12 Feb. 2025
The Panthers fought to bring the Stanley Cup to South Florida for the first time in franchise history, ultimately overpowering the Oilers in an electrifying Game 7.
—Jose Iglesias, Matias Ocner, David Santiago, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
The Fresh Linen scent is light and refreshing, leaving clothes smelling clean without being overpowering.
—Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 13 Mar. 2025
Think of it like a duet, where both brands should enhance each other without overpowering.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Simplify with grays Designer Krista Nye Nicholas introduces curvy mosaics to bring interest without overpowering the rest of the bathroom design.
—Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 2025
Gifting buildable yet never-overpowering color, up to 24 hours of hydration, and a kissable shine, the lightweight formula is perfect for applying on the move or carefully and methodically before a big night out.
—Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 4 Mar. 2025
Verlander, 42, not only struck out Level, 17, on three pitches, but pitched him backwards, too, starting Level off with a changeup before dumping in a curveball and overpowering him with a fastball.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2025
But Strong channels the spirit of people like Jack Nicholson and James Cagney in overpowering all our dumb assumptions about naturalism and authenticity.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Don’t worry—our tester says the fragrance isn’t overpowering in the slightest.
—Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 12 Feb. 2025
The Panthers fought to bring the Stanley Cup to South Florida for the first time in franchise history, ultimately overpowering the Oilers in an electrifying Game 7.
—Jose Iglesias, Matias Ocner, David Santiago, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overpowering
Verb
-
Outside cash is dominating the special election for a new county supervisor in the South Bay.—
Andrew Keatts,
Axios,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Vancouver, meanwhile, fell short against the New York Rangers, despite thoroughly dominating play and out-chancing the struggling Rangers by a brutally lopsided margin.—
Thomas Drance,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
That’s overwhelming even for the most experienced investor.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
31 Mar. 2025
-
An adventurous mix of fabrics brings warmth to the primary suite, without overwhelming the space.—
Kristen Flanagan,
Architectural Digest,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The story of Elvis’ rise and fall hasn’t faded from the public imagination, proving irresistible to filmmakers like Sofia Coppola and Baz Luhrmann.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Navigating a new promotion, an irresistible rebound, Marina still hot on her trail, her sister selling her family home and a copycat killer threatening to expose her, Rhiannon’s kill list is mounting.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The result: The obstacles to the far right’s blueprint for conquest and ethnic cleansing have been removed, and its agenda has effectively become Netanyahu’s policy.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
7 Aug. 2025
-
But for now, the Sky are charting a course toward a disastrous result for the entire league — handing the Lynx even more ammunition to load up for yet another WNBA title conquest.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
From a reach standpoint, Netflix is arguably the best fit for the UFC—or any other league looking to establish global domination.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
4 Aug. 2025
-
These 90 million fans and counting organized themselves early on to ensure success for the boys, taking BTS from a 200-person show at Hollywood’s Troubadour to unprecedented global domination.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
Is there not a single executive somewhere at Netflix to greenlight a fresh retelling of the core Hanukkah story of pride, miracles, and determined guerilla warfare against a conquering despot?—
Gord Magill,
Newsweek,
20 Dec. 2024
-
Then English speakers began conquering Celtic, Native American, African, Australian and other peoples, pressuring or forcing them to give up their languages.—
Ross Perlin,
The Dial,
14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Probiotics may decrease the duration of diarrhea and can reduce the length of hospital stays associated with infectious diarrhea.1 Evidence from a meta-analysis showed that probiotics can help improve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).—
Jessica Swirble,
Verywell Health,
5 Aug. 2025
-
That helps determine when and where the person was infectious.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overpowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overpowering. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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