1
as in dominates
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 overwhelms
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 overpowers
When the woman exits, her assailant throws her to the ground, rips off her clothes and overpowers her.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Jan. 2026
But a dollop of ’95 alt-rock sweetness almost overpowers it.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
With most rose fragrances, the rose basically overpowers the whole thing, and this one splits the focus.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 21 Nov. 2025
Nonetheless, her ex’s rage overpowers everything else.
—Alex Kotlowitz, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Spinach is green because its chlorophyll content overpowers the orange pigment from beta-carotene.
—Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 22 Oct. 2025
Taking care of her niece endows the narrator with purpose; love overpowers her.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
The frosting has an artificial-sweetener flavor that overpowers everything.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025
Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Jan. 2026
But a dollop of ’95 alt-rock sweetness almost overpowers it.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
With most rose fragrances, the rose basically overpowers the whole thing, and this one splits the focus.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 21 Nov. 2025
Nonetheless, her ex’s rage overpowers everything else.
—Alex Kotlowitz, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Spinach is green because its chlorophyll content overpowers the orange pigment from beta-carotene.
—Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 22 Oct. 2025
Taking care of her niece endows the narrator with purpose; love overpowers her.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
The frosting has an artificial-sweetener flavor that overpowers everything.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overpowers
Verb
-
One topic of conversation dominates all the others.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The opposition dominates for spells but struggles to bypass his strong defence.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
What overwhelms her isn’t the wedding itself, but the realization that her lifelong role as Lexi’s default person is about to shift.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
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But for families with young kids, there is one cost that overwhelms almost everything else — child care.—
Liam Stanton,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Royd subdues and binds her before taking off to restore the power.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
13 Nov. 2025
-
For those who are more into curves than angles, the Bialetti Moon takes all the functional elements of the moka stovetop espresso maker and subdues them with a rounded stainless steel silhouette.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Auburn overcomes a 14-point deficit in the first half and race past the Longhorns behind 31 points from Keyshawn Hall.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Jan. 2026
-
By placing wind turbines in the air, this overcomes land use pressures and also makes the technology more flexible for places like cities.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cruise down Market Street—skimming past buzzing tech hubs—while your autonomous vehicle conquers steep hills and tight turns with uncanny precision.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The winner of a duel conquers his opponent’s square, gaining more ground – the loser leaves the game.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Exacerbating the problem, unpredictable rainfall cycling between drought and floods further devastates the region.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Maximum deceleration subjects New Shepard crews to about five times the normal pull of gravity.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
20 Dec. 2025
-
The Miami Beach ordinance subjects people — mostly those who are homeless — to arrest for sleeping outside.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
And that defeats the entire purpose of the change.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Not that such nuance matters when the playoff defeats keep stacking up.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overpowers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overpowers. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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