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
Relevance
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
1
as in overpowering
Related Words
2
as in crushing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
3
as in staggering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of overwhelming
Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 8 Oct. 2025
Due to overwhelming demand, Rush is adding 11 new dates to its limited-run Fifty Something tour, the band announced Wednesday.
—Dave Brooks, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2025
Sam McDowell October 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Levi’s style hits right at the hips, per one five-foot-two reviewer, and comes with a simple, zip-up design to avoid overwhelming your figure.
—Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelming
Verb
Better care, more frequent check-ins, and stronger community support can make the transition into parenthood feel less overwhelming.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 8 Oct. 2025
Due to overwhelming demand, Rush is adding 11 new dates to its limited-run Fifty Something tour, the band announced Wednesday.
—Dave Brooks, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The history suggests the odds were overwhelming the Chiefs were good enough to win Monday.
—Sam McDowell October 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Levi’s style hits right at the hips, per one five-foot-two reviewer, and comes with a simple, zip-up design to avoid overwhelming your figure.
—Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelming
Verb
-
Not even a month had passed since his big sister, Toraya, was shot and killed at an apartment complex in New Jersey, devastating the Reid family and shaking the Timberwolves organization to its core.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Oil was discovered there in the 1920s, and the county went through booms and busts for decades, enriching wildcatters and devastating the landscape, until a lasting bust left Loving County a virtual wasteland with no running water, paved roads, schools, hospitals, or grocery stores.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Several private roads were impassable Monday due to Vallecito Creek and Grimes Creek flooding over the banks.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
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Disingenuous advertising can lure in claimants with questionable or exaggerated claims, flooding the courts with frivolous cases.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Burman’s Mild and herby with a bright tang, this one was less overpowering than others.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
-
In its place was an overpowering smell of cigar smoke and a mass of humanity.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The numbers are nothing short of staggering.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
-
But it was mixed with pain from staggering losses and concern about what comes next.—
Yamiche Alcindor,
NBC news,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The other notable incident of the first half was one person overcoming the tight security measures to reach the pitch.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Leaper Williams, a Lawrence High graduate who started working at KU at 16, emerged as one of KU football’s most recognizable employees through the years, overcoming a development impairment due to anoxia, a lack of oxygen to the brain, at birth.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An opera which seriously addressed that theme would be equal to the crisis that is engulfing the American experiment.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Videos on social media and broadcast by CNN affiliates showed fierce flames engulfing the beachfront property with plumes of smoke rising into the air.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Sparkling and irresistible but also deep, dark, and, above all, beautiful.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
12 Oct. 2025
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There was also an irresistible aura about the home of English football that extended way beyond international borders.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This is an unacceptable physical and emotional power dynamic, even in a fantasy.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
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Anything less than the protection of creators and their rights is unacceptable.—
Erik Hayden,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelming. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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