as in overwhelming
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 whelming
Verb
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It’s crafted with a mix of golden wheat, pampas grass, and delicate flowers to add texture to your space without overwhelming the color scheme.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025 -
The mid-rise fit and exaggerated flare feel straight out of the ’70s, but the cut is modern enough to flatter curves without overwhelming your frame.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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More than just devastating the lives of these commuters — most of whom earn under $49,000 per year and work blue-collar jobs — each of these cars on the freeway is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.—
Stan Oklobdzija,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
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After a series of devastating airstrikes, the Israeli military is sending its ground forces into Gaza City, causing thousands of Palestinians to flee and escalating a humanitarian crisis in the region.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The movie adaptation is also rife with metaphors about boys becoming men and overcoming life-or-death circumstances to make it out the other side.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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But in reality, deepfakes are getting better and the threat industry has many years of experience in honing lures to trick people, playing on emotions and overcoming natural suspicions and objections.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Whelming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whelming. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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