1
as in to overcome
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
just the thought of how much work there is to do overwhelms me
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to engulf
to cover with a flood
that spring the massive runoff from melting snows overwhelmed the valley
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of overwhelm
Some people who are worried about vaccines argue the number of different antigens and other ingredients could overwhelm a child's immune system.
—
NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
The Wolverines weren’t overwhelming the Chieftains with pressure, as Masconomet generated numerous breakouts for promising transitions into the attacking half behind star scorer Ava Gauvain, Mia Marques and midfielder Genevieve Clapp.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
The move comes amid escalating Russian attacks using waves of Shahed-136 drones and missile salvos meant to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
This local ordinance is part of a set of rules within the Sedona Land Development Code created to preserve Sedona's natural beauty and keep the landscape from being overwhelmed by flashy colors.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelm
NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
The Wolverines weren’t overwhelming the Chieftains with pressure, as Masconomet generated numerous breakouts for promising transitions into the attacking half behind star scorer Ava Gauvain, Mia Marques and midfielder Genevieve Clapp.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
The move comes amid escalating Russian attacks using waves of Shahed-136 drones and missile salvos meant to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
This local ordinance is part of a set of rules within the Sedona Land Development Code created to preserve Sedona's natural beauty and keep the landscape from being overwhelmed by flashy colors.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelm
Verb
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Among those highlighted will be Amanda, a refugee and the first Miss Trans Global Uganda; Sarah, who overcame sight loss to support LGBTQ+ people with disabilities while running marathons; and Leo, a speaker and life coach with dyskinetic cerebral palsy.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
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Fortunately, modern nandina cultivars like 'Lemon-Lime' from the Southern Living Plant Collection have been bred to overcome these problems.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As Bryant explains, ageing stars can efficiently engulf their close-orbiting planets due to a gravitational tug-of-war called tidal interaction.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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Burke’s character died in Fire Country season 3 In the season 3 finale, Vince, Bode and Sharon rushed to save Vince's father, Walter (Jeff Fahey), whose care facility was engulfed in flames.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Last year’s devastating drought in the Amazon Basin was made 30 times more likely by climate change, according to a report from World Weather Attribution, a network of scientists that analyze extreme weather events.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Earlier this year, California’s devastating Eaton Fire destroyed much of Altadena, a diverse, creative community just north of Pasadena.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Anger and grief lead to change The deaths at Camp Mystic have led to sharp questions from parents and lawmakers about the camp’s safety and evacuation plan in an area known to flood on a regular basis.—
Pamela Brown,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
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TikTok users were quick to flood the comments.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Wrappers and crushed soda cans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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White people organized a brutal resistance against Black citizenship, deploying violence and terror to crush Reconstruction.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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One villager has drowned in flash floods in the eastern province of Catanduanes, officials confirmed to the Associated Press, while another died in Catbalogan city in eastern Samar province after being pinned by debris from a collapsed home.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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Even more poignant, however, is the Rosemary's Baby angle, where the innocence of childhood is drowned in blood and the notion that a young person reared in a loving environment should develop into a compassionate adult is perverted into unthinkable horror.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelm. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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