as in bewildered
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in devastated
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
just the thought of how much work there is to do overwhelms me
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in flooded
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 overwhelmed
Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 5 Feb. 2026
The record-breaking number of participants – 13 of which were new – overwhelmed a few patrons, but not enough to stay home.
—Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 5 Feb. 2026
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Feb. 2026
Much of that spending went to upgrade the city’s and regional rail lines, which are expected to be overwhelmed given the spread-out nature of the Games.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Adjective
Try this simple winter skin reset If your skin feels overwhelmed, less really is more.
—Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 5 Feb. 2026
The record-breaking number of participants – 13 of which were new – overwhelmed a few patrons, but not enough to stay home.
—Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
The body of work overwhelmed Herbert’s.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Feb. 2026
Much of that spending went to upgrade the city’s and regional rail lines, which are expected to be overwhelmed given the spread-out nature of the Games.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelmed
Adjective
-
Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The usually positive Gauff went negative, lacked energy and seemed bewildered and overwhelmed.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Whitaker and Perlah, who know about Louie’s advanced liver disease and see his care as routine, will be devastated to learn Louie is gone.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
See the aftermath from above Infrastructure devastated There have been reports of severe damage to the area's infrastructure, including the city's hospital, schools and businesses.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The southern Portuguese city of Alcacer do Sal, about 60 miles from Lisbon, was battling rising waters from the river Sado, with downtown areas flooded and water levels measuring roughly 7 feet high in some places.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The violence broke out after hundreds of middle and high school students flooded the downtown to protest.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Carryover funding from previous fiscal years is allowing services to continue to be introduced on a staggered schedule.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Those points are then used to determine staggered start times for the cross-country race.—
Annika Malacinski,
SELF,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bradshaw — who passed for 309 yards and overcame three interceptions with touchdown passes of 47 yards to Swann and 73 yards to Stallworth — was named MVP for the second straight year.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Malinin opened with a big quad flip, opted for a safer triple axel over his quad, and overcame a couple of mistakes along the way to finish with aplomb.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Fort Allen Volunteer Fire Company said its crews responded to Tuesday morning's wrong-way crash on Interstate 70 and a semi-trailer truck that was hauling produce was fully engulfed in flames.—
Megan Shinn,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Speaking to journalists in Riyadh ahead of Prince William’s visit to Saudi Arabia later Monday, the spokesperson shared for the first time the couple’s view of the crisis that has engulfed the palace and UK parliament in recent weeks.—
Max Foster,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Gianluigi Donnarumma looked stunned.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Playing 40 minutes of perhaps unfamiliar material before getting to the hits sounds challenging and, to be sure, some of the more lubricated audience members sat in stunned silence.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The result is that all the protons and electrons in the star are crushed into neutrons, and the mass of the incredibly dense object remains comparable to the sun, but the size is comparable to a city, as explained by NASA.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
When Heathcliff, a foundling, discovers that Cathy Earnshaw, the daughter of the impoverished Yorkshire lord who’s taken him in, has played a prank on him by putting eggs in his beds to be crushed, the boy plunges his fingers into the slippery puddle of yolk and albumen left behind.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelmed. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
