overwhelm

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈ(h)welm How to pronounce overwhelm (audio)
Definition of overwhelmnext
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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overwhelm As lifelong Queen fans, Pemberton and Knight were overwhelmed by their experience in May’s studio. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2026 Scientists warn that king tides could rise another foot or two during El Niño, and storms at the same time could overwhelm defenses and inundate areas unaccustomed to flooding. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026 Dozens of vehicles required manual retrieval after requests for assistance from remote operators overwhelmed Waymo’s response system. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Oct. 2026 If this news is overwhelming you, maybe try a deep, brain-poisoning breath. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelm
  1. overcome
  2. engulf
  3. devastate
  4. flood
  5. crush
  6. drown
Verb
  • Tested on three below-knee amputees, this technique could overcome the limitations of current muscle-signal systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • This front row seat to past moments — including some that involve Ethan — leads Hannah to reflect, break out of her comfort zone and overcome her fear of failure.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of overcome
Verb
  • Video footage released by Romania's intelligence service showed a person climbing the ladder of a building's fire escape, followed by brief flashes and flames engulfing a building.
    — STEPHEN McGRATH, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Video footage released by the intelligence service showed a person climbing the ladder of a building’s fire escape, followed by brief flashes and flames engulfing a building.
    — Stephen McGrath, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of engulf
Verb
  • Some were devastated and expressed hope a new company could rescue the venture so life at sea can continue.
    — Sopheng Cheang, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Fisherwoman is devastated and has a very flammable partner.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • The post was quickly removed after a wave of criticism flooded her comment section.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The era of agentic AI has arrived, but there is uncertainty about what the landscape will look like when virtual storefronts become flooded with AI agents or when a business tries to block them.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of flood
Verb
  • But there are actual terrifying objects in space, entities operating on a scale that crush our minds and reduce our human experience to a mote of dust floating in the dark.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Dyed diesel relief or not, the agriculture industry is pleading for help to lower their crushing fuel costs.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of crush
Verb
  • Theiss’ wife filed a police complaint alleging that the men were shocked while trying to get out of the pool and drowned, NDTV reported.
    — Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 31 Oct. 2026
  • And Saturday, with the game temporarily relocated to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Gators couldn’t even drown their sorrows in the usual Jacksonville sunshine.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of drown

Browse Nearby Words

overweights
overwhelm
overwhelmed
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Cite this Entry

“Overwhelm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelm. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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