as in defeat
failure to win a contest
the surprising overthrow of the world's top-ranked chess player
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to overwhelm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overthrow
Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
Qaddafi was later overthrown and slain in a 2011 rebellion backed by NATO.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
In 1984, five years after the Shah of Iran was overthrown, her parents moved with her to Germany.
—Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
In fact, back then heads did roll, including the head of King Charles I in 1649 when he was overthrown and executed following a civil war led by Oliver Cromwell.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for overthrow
Verb
The clandestine network selected Pilecki, a 39-year-old veteran and fervent Polish nationalist, to infiltrate Auschwitz, report on its operations and organize fellow prisoners with the object of overthrowing the German camp’s superintendents.
—Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
Qaddafi was later overthrown and slain in a 2011 rebellion backed by NATO.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
In 1984, five years after the Shah of Iran was overthrown, her parents moved with her to Germany.
—Kerry A. Dolan, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
In fact, back then heads did roll, including the head of King Charles I in 1649 when he was overthrown and executed following a civil war led by Oliver Cromwell.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for overthrow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overthrow
Noun
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His only loss prior to his UFC 311 setback to Makhachev was a March 2022 unanimous decision defeat to former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in a 160-pound catchweight battle.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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But at Dodger Stadium on Sunday afternoon, teammate Max Muncy did it twice — hitting two home runs and matching a career high with seven RBIs to lift the Dodgers to a 13-7 defeat of the Washington Nationals, and make Ohtani more of the sideshow in his second pitching start of the season.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2025
Verb
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One day in 1997, after a fire, the Giuliani administration sent a wrecking ball to topple the building.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
21 June 2025
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Maxar Technologies via Getty Images Eventually, the demonstrations died down, but now Sima hopes the Israeli strikes could weaken the regime and allow people to topple it.—
Sara Monetta,
NBC news,
19 June 2025
Verb
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The number of wild burros roaming pine forests and sagebrush fields has grown in recent years, with experts worried that the miniature beasts of burden could overwhelm rare and endangered species of plants.—
Annie Goodykoontz,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
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That means empowering employees, not overwhelming them.—
Dan Adika,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Weger was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the fatal beating of Lillian Oetting, 50, in March 1960 at the scenic park near Utica.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
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But the movie’s focus isn’t so much the zeitgeist that yields these public beatings, but rather, the strange and amusing way that a young woman present in the crowd, Maitri (Singh), uses this violence to her advantage in a moment of snap judgement.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 June 2025
Verb
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The measure is designed to overturn a series of executive orders by Trump, including banning transgender troops in the U.S. military and blocking transgender students from playing on girls’ sports teams.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2025
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In court filings for the federal criminal case over Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results—which has since been dropped—prosecutors alleged Trump was repeatedly told by top advisors that there was no evidence of widespread fraud in the election.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Stop running for even a millisecond to scratch your nose and you’ll be overrun with ghouls and creatures of the night.—
Joshua Lamb,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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For a brief, beautiful moment on June 5, the world was overrun with go-kart-racing cows.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
Noun
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Revenue is set to fall 21 percent to 120 million pounds, with pre-tax losses widening slightly to 23 million pounds.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
20 June 2025
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The push underscores how the president remains fixated on his loss to former President Biden in 2020, even after mounting a political comeback last year to win a second term.—
Cate Martel,
The Hill,
20 June 2025
Verb
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The Pacers had taken several of the Thunder’s best runs and their rabid defensive pressure and inverted it.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
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Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack; let cool completely, about 2 hours.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overthrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overthrow. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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