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
Relevance
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
Hirschhorn’s Josh manages to be endearing even when the character’s messiness and selfishness overwhelm him.
—
Chad Jones, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Typical treatment uses an oxygen mask or hyperbaric chamber to overwhelm the body with oxygen, pushing the carbon monoxide molecules off the hemoglobin cells so that oxygen can attach instead.
—Sara Novak, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2025
Some whales have become stranded or collided with ships when overwhelmed by anthropogenic noise, while others have been left to, dangerously, reduce singing altogether.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
If a disaster overwhelms state and local capacity, officials may request a presidential declaration, the agency said.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelm
Chad Jones, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Typical treatment uses an oxygen mask or hyperbaric chamber to overwhelm the body with oxygen, pushing the carbon monoxide molecules off the hemoglobin cells so that oxygen can attach instead.
—Sara Novak, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2025
Some whales have become stranded or collided with ships when overwhelmed by anthropogenic noise, while others have been left to, dangerously, reduce singing altogether.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
If a disaster overwhelms state and local capacity, officials may request a presidential declaration, the agency said.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelm
Verb
-
How Wi-Fi HaLow Can Help Address These Needs To overcome connectivity gaps in large-scale environmental monitoring, some researchers and technologists are turning to Wi-Fi HaLow.—
Michael De Nil,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The movie adaptation is also rife with metaphors about boys becoming men and overcoming life-or-death circumstances to make it out the other side.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But as her due date grew closer, fighting in her neighborhood escalated, engulfing the entire village.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The docuseries initially picked up steam after debuting at SXSW in 2024 and was engulfed by Starz.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Deadly floods in Asia have devastated crops, crippling already fragile food production.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The glossy marketing doesn't include a footnote about trust funds, family support or the ability to absorb year-over-year losses that would devastate most working families.—
Elle Wang,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Hortmans’ assassination received a flurry of coverage over the strange circumstances under which it was carried out, with pictures of Boelter in his silicone mask initially flooding social media.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The United States is flooded with nearly half a billion guns, and the stockpile does not vanish just because the murder rate dips.—
John J. Donohue,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The result is quantum devices that can fly on real aircraft without crushing.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Hong Kong advancers beat decliners, though healthcare was crushed by rumors that the US would impose tariffs on Chinese drugs.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There’s a risk of the children drowning in the pool or being bitten by spiders; there’s the danger of a brush fire on the nearby hillside; and more.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
-
That matters because SOCs are drowning in noise and budget strain from log ingestion.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelm. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share