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
This is the monthly observing window — when moonlight no longer overwhelms the fainter stars and the sky begins to reveal itself again.
—
Jamie Carter, Space.com, 8 May 2026
Excess sugar overwhelms the kidneys, which flush it — along with hydrating fluids — out through urine, leaving people dehydrated and trapped in a cycle of thirst.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Excess sugar in the blood overwhelms the kidneys, which struggle to reabsorb glucose.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
To better understand the technicals, resistance happens when supply from sellers overwhelms demand from buyers, and the stock struggles to appreciate further; the opposite is true of support, which happens when demand from buyers overwhelms supply from sellers, and the stock tends to move higher.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026
At the scale of ⁴²Ar, that interference completely overwhelms the signal, keeping it out of reach.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
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
Jamie Carter, Space.com, 8 May 2026
Excess sugar overwhelms the kidneys, which flush it — along with hydrating fluids — out through urine, leaving people dehydrated and trapped in a cycle of thirst.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Excess sugar in the blood overwhelms the kidneys, which struggle to reabsorb glucose.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
To better understand the technicals, resistance happens when supply from sellers overwhelms demand from buyers, and the stock struggles to appreciate further; the opposite is true of support, which happens when demand from buyers overwhelms supply from sellers, and the stock tends to move higher.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026
At the scale of ⁴²Ar, that interference completely overwhelms the signal, keeping it out of reach.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelms
Verb
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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
-
The fire devastates the area, burning down the couple's entire property.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Years later, when our lives intersect with children and children’s books, the ice thaws; that old love floods us.—
Mac Barnett,
Longreads,
5 May 2026
-
Neuroscientists Wendy Suzuki, PhD, Samuel Wang, PhD, and Gary Small, MD explain how movement increases blood flow, boosts growth factors like BDNF, and floods the brain with mood-lifting neurochemicals.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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 19 May. 2026.
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