overthrow
verb
over·throw
ˌō-vər-ˈthrō 
overthrew
ˌō-vər-ˈthrü
; overthrown
ˌō-vər-ˈthrōn
; overthrowing
; overthrown
ˌō-vər-ˈthrōn
; overthrowing
2
: to cause the downfall of : bring down, defeat
overthrow a tyrant
3
: to throw a ball over or past (something or someone, such as a base or a receiver)
Examples of overthrow in a Sentence
The quarterback overthrew his receiver.
Recent Examples on the Web
This new approach does not overthrow thermodynamics or Einstein’s theories.
—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
That coup, which overthrew a Socialist government allied with Fidel Castro’s Cuba, was abetted by the Nixon Administration and its regional allies—right-wing military regimes that proceeded to wage a series of dirty wars against leftist citizens of their own countries.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
Bo Nix overthrows Tyler Badie on third-and-14 checkdown.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025
Last week at Dallas, McCarthy overthrew him on a deep crossing route and sailed a would-be touchdown pass through his hands — an incompletion that Jefferson claimed responsibility for.
—CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overthrow
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Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
That coup, which overthrew a Socialist government allied with Fidel Castro’s Cuba, was abetted by the Nixon Administration and its regional allies—right-wing military regimes that proceeded to wage a series of dirty wars against leftist citizens of their own countries.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
Bo Nix overthrows Tyler Badie on third-and-14 checkdown.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025
Last week at Dallas, McCarthy overthrew him on a deep crossing route and sailed a would-be touchdown pass through his hands — an incompletion that Jefferson claimed responsibility for.
—CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overthrow
Cite this Entry
“Overthrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overthrow. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overthrow
verb
over·throw
-ˈthrō
1
: overturn sense 1, upset
lawn chairs overthrown by the gale
2
: defeat entry 1, destroy
a government overthrown by rebels
3
: to throw a ball over or past
overthrew second base
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