1
as in overcomes
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
just the thought of how much work there is to do overwhelms me
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in engulfs
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 overwhelms
Over such spans, change overwhelms continuity; too much simply disappears.
—
Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
This figure motivates Butrich but also overwhelms her.
—Sabrina Weiss, The Dial, 23 Sep. 2025
If a disaster overwhelms state and local capacity, officials may request a presidential declaration, the agency said.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
This overload wastes storage, overwhelms engineering teams, clutters observability tools and slows investigations when something actually goes wrong.
—Bill Hineline, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
As the infection overwhelms the body, severe drops in blood pressure further starve vital organs of oxygen.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
But the showy structure overwhelms the unshowy story.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
For a material that so often overwhelms, this kind of wearability is rare and noteworthy.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2025
Other factors have also played a role in contaminating beaches, including increasingly severe weather that overwhelms sewage systems, and suburban sprawl that paves over natural areas and reduces the ecosystem’s ability to absorb stormwater, Rumpler said.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
This figure motivates Butrich but also overwhelms her.
—Sabrina Weiss, The Dial, 23 Sep. 2025
If a disaster overwhelms state and local capacity, officials may request a presidential declaration, the agency said.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
This overload wastes storage, overwhelms engineering teams, clutters observability tools and slows investigations when something actually goes wrong.
—Bill Hineline, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
As the infection overwhelms the body, severe drops in blood pressure further starve vital organs of oxygen.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
But the showy structure overwhelms the unshowy story.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
For a material that so often overwhelms, this kind of wearability is rare and noteworthy.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2025
Other factors have also played a role in contaminating beaches, including increasingly severe weather that overwhelms sewage systems, and suburban sprawl that paves over natural areas and reduces the ecosystem’s ability to absorb stormwater, Rumpler said.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelms
Verb
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The depth of humanity Kosztolányi brings to the sorrowful life of Skylark and her adoring parents is magical, and rewards anyone who overcomes its modest premise.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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However, the new fuel cell overcomes this challenge with its lightweight design.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Americans are used to thinking about automation as something that devastates factory towns in the heartland.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
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The novel is about three teenagers experiencing the joy and angst of their senior year in a New York City high school as the AIDS crisis devastates their community.—
Abdi Nazemian,
PEOPLE,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What To Know One of the most dangerous threats for Southern California will be the risk of debris flow as the rain floods recent burn scars, including the Eaton Scar and Bridge Scar.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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In shocking footage posted on Facebook, large waves are seen breaking through the glass doors of the lobby as water rushes in and quickly floods the hotel.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His policies have been instrumental in dismantling the criminal enterprise that oppresses the Venezuelan people.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The line in Swift's song and The Life of a Showgirl's cover art appears to be inspired by a Victorian-era painting that depicts the scene in Hamlet when Ophelia goes crazy and falls into a stream and drowns after learning Hamlet killed her father.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
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If someone truly disrupts — won’t stop, drowns out others — escort them out and move on.—
Eric Preven,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelms. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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