as in bewildered
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in devastated
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
just the thought of how much work there is to do overwhelms me
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in flooded
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 overwhelmed
Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
But as her mother reached the end of her life, Marla became more and more overwhelmed.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
This administration hasn't necessarily overwhelmed the health-care experts with good news.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Adjective
Hannah Bilka scored twice, and the United States’ youth and speed overwhelmed a Canadian women’s hockey team missing its captain in a 5-0 win at the Milan Cortina Games.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
But as her mother reached the end of her life, Marla became more and more overwhelmed.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
Island Park is spending $10 million to mitigate water contamination because high-use vacation rentals overwhelmed the small-scale septic systems originally installed for weekend cabins.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
This administration hasn't necessarily overwhelmed the health-care experts with good news.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelmed
Adjective
-
Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The usually positive Gauff went negative, lacked energy and seemed bewildered and overwhelmed.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Edison’s aging transmission lines probably sparked the January 2025 fire that devastated west Altadena, a historically Black community of 1960s middle-class homebuyers.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
-
This practice has contaminated farms, wells and food supplies in states across the country, often leaving farmers financially devastated and communities scrambling for clean drinking water.—
Peter Blair,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Before the logging industry, before the oil and gas industry, before anyone built levees to contain the Mississippi River, the Delta naturally ebbed and flowed and flooded as the river deposited sediment on the Gulf Coast.—
Melina Walling,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Images and videos flooded social media of immigration law enforcement’s violent encounters with protesters, including shooting rubber bullets, spraying chemical agents at close range and smashing car windows.—
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Carryover funding from previous fiscal years is allowing services to continue to be introduced on a staggered schedule.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Those points are then used to determine staggered start times for the cross-country race.—
Annika Malacinski,
SELF,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Takaichi’s popularity with voters helped more than 90% of LDP candidates win their seats, including 41 out of 43 of her colleagues who overcame the stain of financial scandals to secure voter support.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
15 Feb. 2026
-
France’s Mathis Desloges, who has taken two silvers so far, pulled his team into medal position during the third leg of the race, while Italy’s Federico Pellegrino overcame Finland in the anchor leg to take bronze on home soil in his last Olympics.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Los Angeles firefighters extinguished a large structure fire that engulfed a home in the Arlington Heights neighborhood on Monday night.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating after one worker was killed and two others were injured in the fire that engulfed most of the 600,000-square-foot building's roof, according to a spokesperson of the federal agency.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The 30-year-old appeared stunned and visibly emotional over her triumph after completing a smooth second run in the slalom, which is her best event.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
His bandmates were a little stunned, save Kevin Richardson.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Olympic figure skater Ilia Malinin refuses to be crushed beneath the pressure.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Internet shutdowns, mass arrests, intimidation through mourning and fear have crushed public mobilization — while negotiations with powerful states restore the regime’s standing on the global stage.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelmed. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
