overwhelmed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of overwhelmednext
as in bewildered

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Dissimilar Words

overwhelmed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of overwhelm
1
as in devastated
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 flooded
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 overwhelmed
Adjective
Rising costs, debt and constant comparisons on social media can make people feel overwhelmed and trapped. — Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Payments to these gangs in drugs developed local markets that further increased the violence, and the authorities felt overwhelmed. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
Bettany is by turns hilariously perplexed, in the universal manner of parents engaging with teens everywhere, and achingly tender, in the more unusual way of a robot letting himself be overwhelmed by feeling for the first time. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 Clashes last week between armed groups from rival communities in the central part of South Sudan left scores of people dead and overwhelmed a hospital with wounded people, officials said. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overwhelmed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelmed
  1. bewildered
  2. devastated
  3. flooded
  4. staggered
  5. overcame
  6. engulfed
  7. stunned
  8. crushed
Adjective
  • They were soon surrounded by a crowd of about 1,000 bewildered villagers, who alerted forest officials patrolling nearby.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • What appears before the bewildered trio is a boy with a face resembling a frog’s, named Fūsuke.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of bewildered
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
  • The grand staircase was covered in 6 inches of ice and the basement was flooded with 4 feet of water.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • While outside spending in support of Paxton has flooded the Texas airwaves with ads, Talarico's campaign itself has outpaced Paxton's in fundraising from donors eager for Texas to forgo its solidly Republican title.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of flooded
Adjective
  • Still, suppliers said the staggered schedule alone doesn’t account for the weaker demand.
    — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Two years later, Haitians were supposed to return to the polls to elect another tier of the staggered chamber along with lawmakers in the 119-member Lower Chamber of Deputies.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of staggered
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
  • In 2024, the main nationwide entrance examination for medical schools was engulfed in controversy over a slew of irregularities, including the advance leak of the exam’s questions.
    — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • These poignant and revealing journals cover the years after the financial disaster that engulfed Scott.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of engulfed
Adjective
  • It was released as the third of the three-pack of new albums Drake dropped to stunned audiences this May.
    — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As Bijan Robinson raced down the sideline and the rest of his Falcons teammates sprinted in pursuit, a mixture of an eerie hush and a stunned buzz fell over Caesars Superdome from a crowd still not entirely settled in its seats.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of stunned
Verb
  • At a Franprix on Rue Beaurepaire near Place de la République, shelves were emptied and products were either stolen or crushed on the floor.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • When the stars of some of his early shorts reacted unfavorably, he was crushed.
    — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of crushed

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Cite this Entry

“Overwhelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelmed. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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