overcome

verb

over·come ˌō-vər-ˈkəm

overcame ˌō-vər-ˈkām

; overcome; overcoming

Synonyms of overcome next

transitive verb

: to get the better of : surmount

overcome difficulties

They overcame the enemy.

: overwhelm

were overcome by the heat and smoke

intransitive verb

: to gain the superiority : win

strong in the faith that truth would overcome

Choose the Right Synonym for overcome

conquer, vanquish, defeat, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow mean to get the better of by force or strategy.

conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

Examples of overcome in a Sentence

After a tough battle, they overcame the enemy. a story about overcoming adversity She overcame a leg injury and is back running again.

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

What was once a network constrained by legacy institutions—including card companies—can now overcome its last-mile problem, delivering significantly more value to merchants and consumers. —

Christian Catalini, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 Yet Harris is overcoming the lagging numbers with Black voters by doing better than Biden performed with white voters. —

Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024 The Jets have gone 50 yards in five plays. 2h ago / 5:50 PM PDT Copied Share Texans can’t overcome mistakes, punt again Rohan Nadkarni The Texans had a 2nd-and-3, but a holding penalty and sack on back-to-back plays were too much for the offense to overcome. —

NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024 Artillery fire can be used to target enemy positions and overcome defenses, while shielding advancing forces from these very defenses. —

Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overcome