overwhelming 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of overwhelmingnext
1
as in overpowering

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2
as in crushing

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
3
as in staggering

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Dissimilar Words

overwhelming

2 of 2

verb

present participle of overwhelm
1
as in devastating
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 flooding
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 overwhelming
Adjective
Those looking for military-grade armor should look elsewhere, though the prototype will provide more than enough protection for the overwhelming majority of us. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026 And really stick to your village and hold your people close because this industry is really big and can be very scary and overwhelming. — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
The media has overwhelming taken Wilson's side, even after the man was proven innocent, and players like Chicago Sky's Natasha Cloud claimed the fan may be a domestic abuser. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Rather than overwhelming the room with HR metrics, focus on the few measures and trends that matter to the decisions the board needs to make. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelming
  1. overpowering
  2. crushing
  3. staggering
  4. devastating
  5. flooding
  6. irresistible
  7. unacceptable
  8. stupendous
Adjective
  • Beyond coffee, Gottsman said candidates should avoid other distractions or unprofessional impressions by putting away their phones, skipping overpowering fragrances, removing sunglasses from the tops of their heads and avoiding chewing gum.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Since the inception of Puffy, Combs has been the overpowering narrator of his own story, masterful at marketing himself as whatever shiny new version of himself he’s decided to be.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of overpowering
Adjective
  • And that makes his collapse all the more crushing.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Even the laughs and smiles that Joe and Kate Keller issue are fleeting, a respite from the journey toward a more crushing reality.
    — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of crushing
Adjective
  • All of a sudden, Bass was a staggering champion lunging at a revived Raman, who swung and stung and ducked the way only a hungry up-and-comer can.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Holcomb’s numbers this season are staggering, punctuated by completing nearly 72% of his passes.
    — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of staggering
Verb
  • The region has already been saturated by heavy rain over the past months, and regions like New Mexico and Grand Canyon were hit by devastating floods earlier this month.
    — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Military force has imposed enormous costs on both Hamas and Iran, devastating their military facilities and killing their commanders.
    — NADIA SCHADLOW, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of devastating
Verb
  • Two of the strongest El Niños in the last 75 years, in 1982-83 and 1997-98, were associated with extensive damage to the Southern California coast, battering homes, flooding streets and damaging piers.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The making of monsters The Cornell gang rape investigation flooding social media outlets and news coverage and fueling a lot of discussions actually took place in 2024.
    — Stephanie Jones, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of flooding
Adjective
  • Some of us seem to naturally have this irresistible aliveness, often invigorating those around us.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The lyrics to Musgraves’ fun, flirty tune from this year’s Middle of Nowhere album is an homage to an irresistible, magnetic love.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of irresistible
Adjective
  • The idea of not spending evenings with my kid is, kids are, is completely unacceptable.
    — Michael Birnbaum The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI took months to discover the incident and notify the Australian agencies affected — that’s unacceptable by my standard.
    — Rumman Chowdhury, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • The Padres are ridiculously hot, and the scene in San Diego was stupendous during the Wild Card Series.
    — The Athletic MLB Staff, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Afternoon tea is likely to ease effortlessly into cocktails in the stupendous Palm Court.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of stupendous

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Cite this Entry

“Overwhelming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelming. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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