overthrow

verb

over·​throw ˌō-vər-ˈthrō 

overthrew ˌō-vər-ˈthrü  ; overthrown ˌō-vər-ˈthrōn  ; overthrowing

transitive verb

1

: overturn, upset

2

: to cause the downfall of : bring down, defeat

3

: to throw a ball over or past (something or someone, such as a base or a receiver)

overthrow

ˈō-vər-ˌthrō 

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for overthrow

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 overthrow in a Sentence

The quarterback overthrew his receiver.

Recent Examples on the Web

And somebody will try to overthrow Xi Jinping for being too soft. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025

The value of the currency has plummeted: from 50 Syrian pounds to the U.S. dollar before the war, to about 15,000 when the Assad regime was overthrown. —Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025

Cardinals in recent history have stirred popular uprisings to overthrow governments. —Howard Chua-Eoan, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025

While the result of this year’s final looks emphatic on paper, world No. 3 Tan pushed her opponent throughout but was ultimately not strong enough to overthrow who many now consider to be the queen of chess. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for overthrow

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

overthrow

verb

over·​throw -ˈthrō 

overthrew -ˈthrü  ; overthrown -ˈthrōn  ; overthrowing

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

overthrow

ˈō-vər-ˌthrō 

noun