as in bewildered
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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
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Recent Examples of overwhelmed
Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Half felt overwhelmed by the process, and slightly more than that said buyers don’t trust them.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The crowd overwhelmed the staff and trashed some of the furniture before the party was relocated to the White House lawn.
—Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Adjective
In California and Oregon, the laboratories that typically perform analytical chemistry for wineries were quickly overwhelmed.
—Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Half felt overwhelmed by the process, and slightly more than that said buyers don’t trust them.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
The one that essentially sat out free agency last year, overwhelmed by extensions for Higgins and Chase.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The crowd overwhelmed the staff and trashed some of the furniture before the party was relocated to the White House lawn.
—Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelmed
Adjective
-
Snook and Lacy, who display such sharp instincts in their best work, seem to have been directed to overact; cameras freeze on their exaggeratedly bewildered or angry or devastated expressions, putting exclamation points at the end of too many scenes.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Instead, a bewildered stranger answers the door.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Though not every gallery has reopened since hurricanes devastated the island, the community brought back the Matlacha Art Walk in 2025.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
-
There had been an influx of increasingly cataclysmal news out of Gaza, and Ben Hania made efforts to stay as informed as possible, but Hind’s innocent voice devastated her anew.—
Sonia Rao,
Washington Post,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Emotions then flooded over him.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Soon, crypto traders and other digital nomads flooded El Zonte, lending it the nickname Bitcoin Beach.—
Nora Walsh,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The structure is a bit tricksier, flipping between the present — which finds our two inevitable lovers estranged and in their early thirties — and a staggered series of flashbacks catching up to it.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The staggered schedule also hints at Apple experimenting with clearer separation between mainstream and high-end iPhones.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Keldon Johnson had 27 points, Victor Wembanyama added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists from Luka Doncic to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-91 on Wednesday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
In 2017, for instance, prosecutors in Contra Costa overcame an insanity defense by William Shultz, who murdered a 9-year-old Discovery Bay boy during a sleepover and blamed it on a delusion about an impending World War III.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cuomo sought to replace New York Mayor Eric Adams, who never stepped down despite being indicted – with charges later dropped – in a corruption case that engulfed much of his administration.—
Brandon Rottinghaus,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Almost exactly a year ago, another rock-era institution — the 111-year-old Morrison Hotel, featured on the cover of the Doors’ fifth studio album — was engulfed in flames after a series of smaller fires.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Farley, who looks stunned, examines it.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The woman shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis was a loving mother, a poet and a partner whose family – along with neighbors across her stunned city and strangers far beyond – is shocked by the circumstances surrounding her death.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And Johnson can’t erase the imagery of poor Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham, a top-5 pick, bursting through the B-gap at the snap only to be crushed by guard Jonah Jackson.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Hodges was trapped, his whole body getting crushed.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelmed. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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