overpowered

verb

past tense of overpower
1
as in dominated
to bring under one's control by force of arms the invading army overpowered the countryside with lightning speed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overwhelmed
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress overpowered by fear of the unknown

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 overpowered With a strong performance from sophomore Noah Mejias from his victories in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly, the Lightning overpowered the rest of the field to capture its second team title at the Plantation Aquinas Center. — Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026 The initial Israeli reaction to the incident — in which an Omani pilot allegedly attacked the flight’s captain with an axe and tried to seize control of the plane before being overpowered by passengers — was relief. — Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026 This perception of threat, intertwined with a harsh interpretation of religious morality, dominated 17th-century life, with the optimistic, protective and compassionate aspects of Christianity often overpowered by fear and a desire to judge. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 The Bison will welcome the week off after being overpowered the Panthers in the first meeting between the two Pennsylvania schools — Bucknell is in Lewisburg, about a 3 1/2-hour drive east from Pittsburgh — since 1945. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026 On the day, Mahone, who was with the men in disguise, rushed onto the bus in Jerash after the driver was overpowered, grabbed her daughter, fought off Burns’ chaperone and sprinted to the getaway car. — Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 Newcastle were not only beaten, but they were also bullied and battered into submission — physically overpowered and outplayed in every facet. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Docherty invites Jacob to clock him with the butt of his service revolver to help sell Docherty’s lie that Jacob overpowered him and escaped. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026 The resident tried to shut the door behind him, but the men overpowered him. — Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overpowered
  1. dominated
  2. overwhelmed
  3. subdued
  4. overcame
  5. conquered
  6. devastated
  7. subjected
  8. defeated
Verb
  • Van Cleef & Arpels dominated the bracelet category, with its Vintage Alhambra taking first place followed by the Hermès Clic Clac and the Cartier Love.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But the council member nevertheless made it into the general election against Bass, and dominated their second debate, hosted in August by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dominated
Verb
  • The graphic descriptions of internal brain trauma overwhelmed the jury box, prompting the judge to call a recess Friday.
    — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Kirschner said that his staff has been overwhelmed with homeless individuals causing property damage and harassing customers.
    — Melody Xu, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of overwhelmed
Verb
  • Armed and hooded, the gang was waved in by Black and surprised, subdued, and handcuffed the other security guards.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The teenager was subdued by the school's principal and taken into custody, according to Polish news agency PAP.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of subdued
Verb
  • The move comes after the Astros overcame a plethora of injuries to win the AL West with an 81-81 record and become the first team in Major League Baseball history to reach the postseason without a winning record.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Cardinals overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the Dodgers, 4-2, in the NLCS, while the Royals rallied from 2-0 down to defeat the Blue Jays, 4-3, in the ALCS.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of overcame
Verb
  • The announcement comes after a summer in which AI models have repeatedly conquered many of math’s longstanding open challenges, including one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems.
    — Rachel Crowell, Scientific American, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Having conquered the world’s top stages as Wagner’s warrior goddess, the American soprano returns to New World Symphony with selections from Götterdämmerung.
    — Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of conquered
Verb
  • Decades of deforestation have devastated vast areas of orangutan habitat, pushing the animals into smaller pockets, increasing their vulnerability to poachers.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Going on two years after the wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades and other Los Angeles-area neighborhoods, a popular moviehouse is ready for its closeup.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastated
Verb
  • According to prosecutors, intelligence officers attacked him from behind, causing a serious back injury, and subsequently subjected him to electric shocks.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • We are subjected daily to the caprices of a mind both unregulated and amoral.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of subjected
Verb
  • French defeated Republican incumbent Jim Wright in a May Republican primary runoff.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That’ll be particularly important after Paxton defeated Cornyn in a brutal primary where Senate Republicans and other Cornyn allies spent more than $90 million in his defense and attacked Paxton as unfit for office.
    — Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of defeated

Browse Nearby Words

overpower
overpowered
overpowering
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Cite this Entry

“Overpowered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overpowered. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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