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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of overwhelm
Pilots and flight attendants have been hospitalized after being overwhelmed by fumes, according to reports made to NASA.
—
Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2025
Bold, tannic wines can be overpowering, Latour tells us, and heavy, high-alcohol reds can overwhelm delicate or spiced desserts, Morreale notes.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
As the storm nears land, powerful winds drive that water ashore, creating walls of water that can overwhelm buildings and infrastructure.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Many CEOs could have been overwhelmed by the daunting challenge of simultaneously mastering media misconceptions on multiple fronts.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelm
Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2025
Bold, tannic wines can be overpowering, Latour tells us, and heavy, high-alcohol reds can overwhelm delicate or spiced desserts, Morreale notes.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
As the storm nears land, powerful winds drive that water ashore, creating walls of water that can overwhelm buildings and infrastructure.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Many CEOs could have been overwhelmed by the daunting challenge of simultaneously mastering media misconceptions on multiple fronts.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 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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Images circulating on social media show a massive fire engulfing the Waldo's store.—
NPR,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
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The disaster forced terrified guests and hotel staff to leap from windows or dangle bedsheets to escape rooms engulfed in smoke and flames.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 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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Construction fines at the site For Smith, the biggest concern was flooding in his backyard.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Nov. 2025
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Theories range from the Fitzgerald striking a shoal and suffering bottom damage to flooding through the freighter's hatch covers, which filled the ship with water and sank it, to rogue waves, to structural flaws in the ship that the 1975 storm made deadly.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Wrappers and crushed soda cans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
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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When the bodies of the drowned are retrieved, they’re sent to Alexandroupoli to be identified.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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In an effort to save their relationship, Smith drowned her two young sons.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelm. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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