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 With the country overwhelmed by grief and anger after the deadliest security breakdown in its history, his resignation seemed like a matter of time. — Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 The very things that were supposed to be making life easier were overwhelming the human nervous system, patients and doctors alike believed. — Kirsten Balin, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026 This gives it a potential role against swarms that could overwhelm defenses through sheer numbers. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 Their offensive line, which was supposed to be a strength, was confused and overwhelmed by a Wisconsin defense that allowed 41 points to Notre Dame. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 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
  • For two years, the war in Gaza devastated the Palestinian enclave, killed tens of thousands of people, and left Israeli hostages languishing in captivity.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The rain is raising concerns in Altadena once again for families devastated by the Eaton Fire.
    — Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastate
Verb
  • For much of the Gaza war, Israeli protesters flooded the streets demanding that Netanyahu strike a deal with Hamas to release Israeli hostages and end the fighting.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The area has experienced unusually heavy rain since Wednesday that caused rivers to surge, flooding homes and forcing water rescues.
    — Anna Wilder, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 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
  • Equally weighting stocks ensures companies in smaller industries aren’t drowned out by massive ones, like Big Tech.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Other components in blood can produce stronger signals that drown them out, according to a scientific review published in Applied Spectroscopy.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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