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
Krasnoff, for her part, is watching to see whether the pageantry of the World Cup eventually overwhelms the political noise.
—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
There aren’t any magic words that will dissuade someone from pursuing a self-destructive path, and there’s no telling whose words mattered most to Robby today, tomorrow, or whenever the darkness overwhelms him.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
Then emotion, suddenly, overwhelms her.
—Time, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
And its power overwhelms that kind of analogy.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Disorientation isn’t an external force that overwhelms a person like a wave.
—Jeff Wise, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Driven by the Gaza conflict and a deepening generational divide, Democratic sympathy for Palestinians now overwhelms support for Israel, threatening a historic partisan realignment.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Cuarón clearly understood that the more extravagant choices can only function in the periphery of a sturdy emotional anchor, an actor with the gravitas to communicate the exasperation that Liborio feels in a reality that overwhelms him.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Kalani Brown scores 21 points and top-seeded Baylor overwhelms much smaller Texas Southern 119-30, the most lopsided women’s NCAA Tournament game.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
There aren’t any magic words that will dissuade someone from pursuing a self-destructive path, and there’s no telling whose words mattered most to Robby today, tomorrow, or whenever the darkness overwhelms him.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
Then emotion, suddenly, overwhelms her.
—Time, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
And its power overwhelms that kind of analogy.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Disorientation isn’t an external force that overwhelms a person like a wave.
—Jeff Wise, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Driven by the Gaza conflict and a deepening generational divide, Democratic sympathy for Palestinians now overwhelms support for Israel, threatening a historic partisan realignment.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Cuarón clearly understood that the more extravagant choices can only function in the periphery of a sturdy emotional anchor, an actor with the gravitas to communicate the exasperation that Liborio feels in a reality that overwhelms him.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Kalani Brown scores 21 points and top-seeded Baylor overwhelms much smaller Texas Southern 119-30, the most lopsided women’s NCAA Tournament game.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelms
Verb
-
This proprietary approach overcomes challenges of surface treatment and dispersion associated with the material.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Leo consistently overcomes challenges such as low light, rapid movement, and split second moments to produce sharp, compelling images.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Florida’s citrus industry has been in a steady decline the past 25 years because of Huanglongbing (also known as HLB and citrus greening disease), a bacterial disease that devastates citrus trees.—
Jim Turner,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
These pieces blend perfectly with lamps designed by Marcel Wanders, the subtle Ice Cream collection, and the natural light that floods the space, bringing the building’s century-old architecture to life.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The annual SantaCon bar crawl that floods New York City with inebriated young people in Santa suits every holiday season was run by a real-life Grinch, according to federal prosecutors.—
Larry Neumeister,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
It is governed by a brutal regime that oppresses its people and is an enemy to the United States.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
-
His policies have been instrumental in dismantling the criminal enterprise that oppresses the Venezuelan people.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Their gigantic bigotry drowns out their smaller accomplishments.—
Alan M. Dershowitz,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But the staggering amount of money poured into this club by BlueCo over the past three years drowns out all attempts at mitigation and erases all excuses.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelms. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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