Synonyms of overwhelm

overwhelm

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈ(h)welm 

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

• overcome
• devastate
• crush
• oppress
• overpower
• disturb
• drown
• grind (down)
• swamp
• floor
• whelm
• upset
• rock
• prostrate
• shatter
• overmaster
• defeat
• snow under
• distress
• sink
• throw
• refute
• deluge
• stagger
• demoralize
• unnerve
• break
• confute
• unman

2

as in to engulf

to cover with a flood

that spring the massive runoff from melting snows overwhelmed the valley

Synonyms & Similar Words

• engulf
• flood
• drown
• inundate
• submerge
• overflow
• overcome
• gulf
• swamp
• deluge
• flush
• smother
• submerse
• flow
• overrun
• wet
• avalanche
• stream
• gush
• spurt
• pour
• drench
• soak
• douse
• sluice
• spout

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drain
• dry
• dehydrate
• parch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of overwhelm

Underneath the surface, the Fashion Studio intuitively harnesses the cumulative power of leading AI models without overwhelming the designer with having to learn a new technology to do the same job. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 2026

But when a particularly high-profile person in Hollywood dies under unusual circumstances, that search for answers can rapidly overwhelm consideration of the life and work that preceded it. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026

The state and county allege the facility could overwhelm the property’s septic system, disturb hazardous materials and cause other environmental harm. — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026

As the systems become larger, all of those components have to work together without introducing errors that overwhelm the quantum computation. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026

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