overwhelming 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of overwhelmingnext
1
as in overpowering

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2
as in crushing

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Dissimilar Words
3
as in staggering

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

overwhelming

2 of 2

verb

present participle of overwhelm
1
as in devastating
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress just the thought of how much work there is to do overwhelms me

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in flooding
to cover with a flood that spring the massive runoff from melting snows overwhelmed the valley

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overwhelming
Adjective
China buys the overwhelming majority of Iran’s crude through opaque trading networks that bypass sanctions. — Kareem Chehayeb, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 The war has unfolded in fits and starts, with bursts of overwhelming American firepower repeatedly giving way to promises that diplomacy might bring it to an end. — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
Those applications must meet criteria that require the projects to be compatible with their surroundings — for instance, by not overwhelming existing homes or creating too much traffic for the street network to handle. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026 Underneath the surface, the Fashion Studio intuitively harnesses the cumulative power of leading AI models without overwhelming the designer with having to learn a new technology to do the same job. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelming
  1. overpowering
  2. crushing
  3. staggering
  4. devastating
  5. flooding
  6. irresistible
  7. unacceptable
  8. stupendous
Adjective
  • Feller was 23 years old, perhaps the most overpowering pitcher in baseball and entering the prime of a Hall of Fame career.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Durians' overpowering smell is fragrant to those who love it and foul to those who don't.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of overpowering
Adjective
  • And that makes his collapse all the more crushing.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Even the laughs and smiles that Joe and Kate Keller issue are fleeting, a respite from the journey toward a more crushing reality.
    — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of crushing
Adjective
  • Her superpower had nothing to do with vampires and everything to do with her staggering talent.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That figure is a staggering 279% over the average for non-Indy 500 races on Sundays.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of staggering
Verb
  • Over 150 people have been killed and hundreds more are missing after devastating flash floods swept through the Himalayan region along the Nepal-Tibet border, officials from both countries confirmed Wednesday.
    — Callum Sutherland, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • And that roads budget included the funding to take care of the existing roads, which would have been devastating ecologically and socially, because if these roads keep falling off the hillsides, then people can’t use them.
    — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of devastating
Verb
  • The main threat from the storm is flooding rain, with up to 9 inches possible in some areas.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Hurricane Milton, the second of which, tore all the Teflon panels off the Trop’s roof flooding the inside of the facility.
    — Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of flooding
Adjective
  • But outside of the irresistible title song, Parton did not sing in the film.
    — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Dolly was simply irresistible to everyone, no matter their background or cultural prejudices.
    — David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of irresistible
Adjective
  • Carney has called that demand unacceptable and a question of Canadian sovereignty.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Custard said, for the public, all this adds up to unacceptable risk.
    — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • The memoirs were a stupendous best-seller, 10,000 door-to-door canvassers selling 325,000 two-volume sets in 1886, earning the general’s widow and children as much as $15 million in today’s dollars.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Success, no matter how stupendous, harbors within it the seed of potential failure if taken for granted and not built upon.
    — Naazneen Karmali, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of stupendous

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Cite this Entry

“Overwhelming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelming. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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