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overwhelmed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of overwhelmednext
as in bewildered

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overwhelmed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of overwhelm
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

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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
Adjective
In our recent Adobe Digital Trends research, 39 percent of customers already feel overwhelmed by how much a single brand sends them. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026 With her father and sister safe in Venezuela, her concern shifted to overwhelmed and underresourced medical workers, and the patients who badly needed their help. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
After more than 24,000 residents filed claims, the regional water authority denied all of them, arguing that extreme rainfall had overwhelmed the system and made flooding unavoidable. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026 College football’s perpetual punching bag for offensive woes overwhelmed Northern Illinois in every facet of a 40-0 victory, and that included a modest passing day from co-starters Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski. — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelmed
  1. bewildered
  2. devastated
  3. flooded
  4. staggered
  5. overcame
  6. engulfed
  7. stunned
  8. crushed
Adjective
  • Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • When kids first got online, parents were bewildered and alarmed, but kids, who tend to gravitate to new technology, found freedom in a space that was basically ungoverned.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bewildered
Verb
  • The remains were found near Crystal Rapid, about 10 miles downstream from Phantom Ranch, one of the areas devastated by the August 29 deadly flash flood that washed out footbridges and campgrounds.
    — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the Southeast, authorities have identified the remains of a Tennessee woman who had been missing since the storm.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastated
Verb
  • While images of destruction flooded social media, 68-year-old Chris White, a lifelong resident of Kauai and the owner of a rental home in Poipu, noted that much of the island was spared significant damage.
    — GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • This week, warnings about RSI flooded social media from researchers at both leading labs, following Jacob Coxon's explosive resignation.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of flooded
Adjective
  • Citi kept its Buy and called the Duo Apple's biggest new hardware category since the Apple Watch and AirPods, and Goldman was constructive on the view that the staggered launch and the $100 Pro increases should support average selling price growth.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Their ceremony was spare, with only a few urns filled with dusty pink and peach roses, while dinner featured loads of thin white candles set in bronzed candelabra at staggered heights.
    — Kaitlin Menza, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of staggered
Verb
  • No, the better choice is Bran, who may not have the bloodline claim but overcame a near-death experience and downloaded the whole of Westerosi history into his brain.
    — Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Corbin Carroll hit a two-run walk-off homer with one out in the ninth inning for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who overcame two three-run deficits to beat the Miami Marlins 8-7 on Monday in Phoenix.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of overcame
Verb
  • Authorities have identified three victims in a deadly crash after a Tesla crashed into a tree and was engulfed in flames in El Dorado Hills late Saturday night.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The Al-Zara gold mine is one of thousands of small-scale and informal mines scattered across Sudan, which has been engulfed in a war that has at times pushed parts of the country into famine.
    — Yasir Abdallah, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of engulfed
Adjective
  • So stunned was Sarkisian that the 52-year-old coach completely forgot how to form big-boy words with his mouth.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Fernández’s adaptation is anxious to turn tragedy into a sermon, offering theatergoers moral solace where Sophocles leaves his audience in a contemplative state of stunned silence.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of stunned
Verb
  • The crowd in Mexico City was absolutely heartbroken as Reigns crushed the dreams of their hero.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Fans were crushed when the Blue Jackets appeared ready to trade Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Zach Werenski, with reports circulating that Werenski’s future in Columbus was in doubt beyond his current contract.
    — Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of crushed

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Cite this Entry

“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelmed. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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