to overwhelm
- verb
- /ˌoʊvərˈwɛlm/
- His Crow and Ankara scouts later said that Custer's men were overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
- threaten to overwhelm
- overwhelm the state
Iran striking Israel and overwhelming them with many days of attacks.
- Iran striking Israel and overwhelming them with many days of attacks.
- What will happen is is that when that gives out, gravity will overwhelm the star.
- They they they tasered Jackie Hawks as they as they physically overwhelmed her husband.
- Then we're going to overwhelm the Greek democracies with incredible numbers, right?
Examples
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Despite their valiant efforts, the Rangers are being overwhelmed by the fierce combatants.
Fiction book (1995) -
It would completely overwhelm our facilities.
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You expect them to band together and overwhelm me?
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Cell phone systems are soon overwhelmed and calls cannot go through.
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In 2008, a remote Russian missile station was overwhelmed and held for a week.
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Enraged French soldiers storm the breach and overwhelm the defenders.
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Over the past four decades, the U.S. apparel industry has been overwhelmed by this global low-wage competition.
Academic text (2002) -
Syrian farmers and herders left their homes, swamped the cities, overwhelmed the infrastructure.
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Without their natural control mechanisms, deer populations multiplied and threatened to overwhelm the canyon's fragile and limited resources.
Academic text (2012) -
The army launched a surprise attack to overwhelm the enemy forces.
Synonyms
Beat someone or something completely in a conflict
To use more strength to defeat and control a person or thing
Defeat an opponent completely and easily
Push a plan or idea through by ignoring other people's views
To win against someone or something that tries to stop you
To surprise and beat someone or something by a large amount
Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt
To make someone feel small or afraid by showing great power
To defeat and control someone or something completely
To push a plan through while ignoring others' objections
To beat someone by a very large amount in a game or contest
To hit, defeat, or work very hard at something using a lot of force
To feel a very strong emotion that takes control of you
Defeat an opponent easily in a game or contest
How Defeated
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Overwhelm comes from over- meaning 'over' and the old word whelm meaning 'to cover' or 'push down', like a wave that knocks things over. So, to overwhelm an enemy is to overpower them completely, as if you push them down with greater force.