as in dominating
the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control
the overpowering of much of Europe by the Nazis during World War II
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in irresistible
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in subduing
to bring under one's control by force of arms
the invading army overpowered the countryside with lightning speed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overwhelming
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
overpowered by fear of the unknown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overpowering
Prakhar Khanna, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
Those are solid numbers, but not overpowering as the Timberwolves expect.
—Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
By that stage, the game had run away from Manchester United; or, more precisely, Newcastle’s midfield had taken it away from them by overpowering, outrunning and out-thinking them.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Pretending to be dead, Gi-hun and his friends launch a surprise attack, overpowering the guards and seizing their weapons, leaving only one guard alive.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
In such situations, Grantham said, the competitive pressures and financial incentives to join the crowd can be overpowering.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Unlike the overpowering Chiefs teams of Mahomes' past, these back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions are achieving wins by operating greater than the sum of its parts.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
This rating also covers the scent and whether or not the tester felt the scent (if any) was overpowering or pleasant.
—Jessie Quinn, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
The eucalyptus-mint scent is strong enough to leave you smelling oh-so refreshed without being overpowering.
—Rebecca Martinson, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
The Studio Pro offer aggressive bass and strong highs, which might feel overpowering at times.
—Prakhar Khanna, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
Those are solid numbers, but not overpowering as the Timberwolves expect.
—Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
By that stage, the game had run away from Manchester United; or, more precisely, Newcastle’s midfield had taken it away from them by overpowering, outrunning and out-thinking them.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Pretending to be dead, Gi-hun and his friends launch a surprise attack, overpowering the guards and seizing their weapons, leaving only one guard alive.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
In such situations, Grantham said, the competitive pressures and financial incentives to join the crowd can be overpowering.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Unlike the overpowering Chiefs teams of Mahomes' past, these back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions are achieving wins by operating greater than the sum of its parts.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
This rating also covers the scent and whether or not the tester felt the scent (if any) was overpowering or pleasant.
—Jessie Quinn, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
The eucalyptus-mint scent is strong enough to leave you smelling oh-so refreshed without being overpowering.
—Rebecca Martinson, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overpowering
Adjective
-
Porsche engineers, though, are a power-hungry sort in that the opportunity to deliver more power is irresistible.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Editor’s tip: Delicate and downright irresistible, the scent was the first in Kai’s collection, and it’s been a perennial favorite since 1999.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Blending fiddle with a stomp-clap sing-along and a familiar hip-hop melody, the song etched a spot in music history this year by dominating charts and scoring near-countless streams.—
Matthew Leimkuehler,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
-
With new brands emerging daily, celebrity endorsements dominating the narrative, and marketing claims becoming increasingly hyperbolic, standing out as a true industry leader requires more than innovative packaging or a catchy tagline.—
Lara Devgan,
Forbes,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
White corn is particularly popular among craft distilleries, as the mild flavor of its whiskeys allows other mash bill components, such as rye or barley, and the influence of barrel aging to shine without overwhelming the palate.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Some popular online sites might be difficult to access or overwhelming for some age groups to navigate, but a physical card for a physical store could be a better fit.—
Felecia Wellington Radel,
USA TODAY,
23 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In the fifteenth century, military conquests transformed the Ottoman state from a regional force in the shadow of the Timurid Empire, which ruled Persia, into a major world power.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
20 Feb. 2025
-
The Russian government also targeted these regions for large-scale resettlement by Russians, especially members of the military, their families, and construction workers, who have been brought to showcase Russian conquest.—
NATALIYA GUMENYUK,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
All of humanity originates from Africa; everything beyond that point is a story of migration, conflict, and domination.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
-
The diss record symbolizes utter domination in hip-hop.—
Clover Hope,
Pitchfork,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Is there not a single executive somewhere at Netflix to greenlight a fresh retelling of the core Hanukkah story of pride, miracles, and determined guerilla warfare against a conquering despot?—
Gord Magill,
Newsweek,
20 Dec. 2024
-
Then English speakers began conquering Celtic, Native American, African, Australian and other peoples, pressuring or forcing them to give up their languages.—
Ross Perlin,
The Dial,
14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
One of your collective super powers is your genuine love of movies – from big tentpoles to specialty titles – your dedication, expertise and infectious fandom – are responsible for so many of our big wins.—
Borys Kit,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Feb. 2025
-
These ventilation systems function like high-volume air samplers, creating negative pressure inside poultry houses that draws in huge quantities of ambient air effectively concentrating whatever particulates may be in that air, in this case infectious virions of H5N1.—
John Drake,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overpowering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overpowering. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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