as in overwhelmed
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
the news so whelmed them that they were stunned into silence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whelmed
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war.
—
Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2025
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 21 Aug. 2025
Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2025
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whelmed
Verb
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But courts were overwhelmed by a flood of asylum seekers—a long-standing systemic shortage exacerbated by Biden’s inclusive policies.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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And the first-half performance in Seville, as Postecoglou’s side overwhelmed a very strong Real Betis, was enough to prompt a huge sense of positivity.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Inter Milan footballing midfield maestro, and his wife Sinem, have teamed up to announce the creation of the Çalhanoğlu Forest, an initiative that will see 10,000 saplings (young trees) planted in the Aydın Province of Kuşadası, which was devastated by wildfires in June 2024.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Still, the damage is done, and Ka-young is devastated by the death of her grandmother.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whelmed. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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