1
as in to overcome
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
just the thought of how much work there is to do overwhelms me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to engulf
to cover with a flood
that spring the massive runoff from melting snows overwhelmed the valley
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of overwhelm
There’s a fresh willingness to prioritize character over the usual barrage of interchangeable CG action sequences that often overwhelm them, instead giving us relatable folks to invest in.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
Smoked Gouda adds creaminess and emphasizes the smokiness of the sausage without overwhelming your tastebuds.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 21 July 2025
While it would be overwhelmed by the tumult of the 1960s and the rise of The Beatles, her sound never went out of style with fans of her unapologetically romantic balladry.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2025
Still, on a partly sunny Saturday under a flood watch, dozens of volunteers overwhelmed a site near the Round Mountain Baptist Church outside of Leander, forcing traffic to a standstill as emergency personnel actively searched for missing people.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelm
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
Smoked Gouda adds creaminess and emphasizes the smokiness of the sausage without overwhelming your tastebuds.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 21 July 2025
While it would be overwhelmed by the tumult of the 1960s and the rise of The Beatles, her sound never went out of style with fans of her unapologetically romantic balladry.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2025
Still, on a partly sunny Saturday under a flood watch, dozens of volunteers overwhelmed a site near the Round Mountain Baptist Church outside of Leander, forcing traffic to a standstill as emergency personnel actively searched for missing people.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwhelm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelm
Verb
-
The Austin district relied heavily on contractors to overcome its chronic backlog of evaluation requests.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 July 2025
Verb
-
From the doorway, Beau could see floodwaters beginning to engulf cabins closer to the Guadalupe River, where the younger boys slept.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
-
That was nothing compared to the aromas that engulfed me at the Generac stage July 4 for Porter Robinson’s stage-closing set.—
jsonline.com,
jsonline.com,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
Today, disaster seekers pack tours through New Orleans neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina two decades ago, and visitors continue to flock to Galveston to see the legacy of a hurricane that killed thousands more than a century earlier.—
Lila Hempel-Edgers
July 22,
Charlotte Observer,
22 July 2025
-
Not only has its air defense infrastructure suffered badly in the confrontations with Israel, but its regional proxies and allies – Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria – have either been devastated by Israel or collapsed altogether.—
Linggong Kong,
The Conversation,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
Previous storms have flooded Mason’s building, damaging appliances and furniture, but this time she was mostly spared.—
William Tong,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
-
Days after the Guadalupe River flooded and claimed dozens of lives, another major river in Texas has triggered warnings from the National Weather Service.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
To obtain the copper ore, Resolution, which is owned by multinational firms Rio Tinto and BHP, will use a method known as block cave mining in which tunnels are drilled beneath the ore body, and then collapsed, leaving the ore to be moved to a crushing facility.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
30 July 2025
-
Schwarber crushed a first-pitch sweeper, hitting the ball nearly to the right-field concourse, for the two-run home run in the third.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
Social media influencer Emilie Kiser does not want the public to see what led Chandler police to recommend a criminal charge against her husband in the drowning death of their 3-year-old son, according to a new court filing.—
Elena Santa Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
31 July 2025
-
The tragedy comes after a German man, 54, also drowned on Tuesday at Cap de Sant Pere de Cambrils beach, near Llarga beach, bringing Catalan beaches’ fatalities to 16 since June 15, according to the BBC.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelm. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share