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
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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
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Recent Examples of overwhelm
The model is overwhelmed by irrelevant code, hallucinates configuration details, misses security settings and gets version numbers wrong.
—
Aruna Veerappan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Too much can overwhelm a dish, but just a small splash can transform it.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 22 May 2026
Plastic Lawn Ornaments Yard accessories can quickly overwhelm a home’s exterior and distract from the landscaping.
—Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 21 May 2026
Adding to that, the high costs of life in LA, the growing sense of the decline of life in tpratthe city, staggering homelessness, burglaries, boarded up store fronts and the inability to get anyone on 911 all appeared to overwhelm Bass.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwhelm
Aruna Veerappan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Too much can overwhelm a dish, but just a small splash can transform it.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 22 May 2026
Plastic Lawn Ornaments Yard accessories can quickly overwhelm a home’s exterior and distract from the landscaping.
—Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 21 May 2026
Adding to that, the high costs of life in LA, the growing sense of the decline of life in tpratthe city, staggering homelessness, burglaries, boarded up store fronts and the inability to get anyone on 911 all appeared to overwhelm Bass.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwhelm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelm
Verb
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The judge stressed the narrow grounds on which an arbitration award can be vacated and concluded Tatis failed to offer a valid reason to overcome that standard of review.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 May 2026
-
Hutson, to his credit, doesn’t seem to be overcome by frustration at this point.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Macrophages are the heavy lifters that engulf debris and pathogens.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
25 May 2026
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On May 21, law enforcement agencies responded to the team’s bus engulfed in flames outside Blue Cross Park, according to Winnipeg Police Service.—
Mitch Picasso,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Horvath faced issues in her district that includes county areas devastated by the Palisades fire.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
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The war is devastating the influence and image of Russian President Vladimir Putin.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Knicks fans flooded Rocket Arena anyway.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2026
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Eisbrenner chose Brownsville for its deepwater access, low vessel traffic, and her conviction that the oil-rich Permian Basin in West Texas would eventually flood the region with excess natural gas.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
Verb
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At the same time, a recent Fast Company article highlighted how Corporate America is crushing senior-level mothers, the very leaders that companies spent decades trying to elevate.—
Shelley Zalis,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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Initially, Adler felt crushed to find out he was adopted illegally, sending him into an identity crisis that led to years of therapy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Sources claim Fergie’s been coping by drowning her sorrows in retail therapy, which could push her even further into debt.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
24 May 2026
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King Supa Dixon drowned after wandering away from his nearby home on Tuesday afternoon, after returning from school.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelm. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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