whelms

verb

present tense third-person singular of whelm
as in overwhelms
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whelms
  1. overwhelms
  2. overcomes
  3. devastates
Verb
  • One person has died and rescues are underway as catastrophic flooding overwhelms the Hill Country, a little more than a year after the July 4 floods killed more than 130 people in Central Texas.
    — Mary Ella Hastings July 16, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
  • Furniture that is too large for a room overwhelms it; ensure your furniture is appropriate for your room size and the other pieces in that room.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 July 2026
Definition of overwhelms
Verb
  • David overcomes Goliath while Odysseus defeats the cyclops Polyphemus.
    — Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Mikel Oyarzabal has four goals, so could yet challenge if Spain overcomes France in the semifinals.
    — James Robson, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of overcomes
Verb
  • The breakup devastates both Charlie and Nick, who both resist their respective urges to reach out to one another, and Elle, Tao and Isaac Henderson (Tobie Donovan) come to Charlie’s home to look after him post-split.
    — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • So when the dog is lost in a severe storm that devastates the region and leaves many homeless, an overwhelmed Rose must balance the urgency of her search mission alongside the misfortune of others close to her.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 June 2026
Definition of devastates
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Whelms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whelms. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on whelms

Nglish: Translation of whelms for Spanish Speakers

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