How to Use overpower in a Sentence

overpower

verb
  • The delicate taste of the wine was overpowered by the spiciness of the food.
  • The police overpowered the man and handcuffed him.
  • The troops were overpowered by the stronger enemy forces.
  • She was able to overpower her attacker.
  • His personality overpowers everyone else's.
  • He would have been overpowered and dragged away.
    — Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
  • The bold flavor of the spice rub could overpower a milder fish.
    — Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The red onion is thinly sliced, so as not to overpower the meat.
    — John Somerall, Southern Living, 27 July 2025
  • Fear that a day will come the numbers here will overpower the love to live.
    — Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
  • The blue cheese didn’t overpower, but the thick raw onion threatened to.
    — Robert Philpot bud Kennedy jason Hoskins, star-telegram, 4 Oct. 2017
  • There are times when the space heater could overpower the cord and cause it to short circuit.
    — Joe Mario Pedersen, orlandosentinel.com, 2 Dec. 2020
  • The strength and speed can overpower even strong swimmers.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Hair and makeup were kept simple so as not to overpower the rest.
    — Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2019
  • The scale is huge, but not overpowering.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
  • A lot of litters try to solve odor by overpowering it.
    — Svetlana Khachiyan, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
  • The beets overpower the beef and muddle any nuance in the tartare.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
  • The man fights back, but is overpowered and soon killed by the intruder.
    — Brittany Vincent, Popular Mechanics, 15 June 2019
  • The scents are great and fill a room without overpowering it.
    — Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 13 Nov. 2023
  • The smell of the dead mussels, even in the open air, was overpowering.
    — Calmatters, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
  • As was the case last time, her bass-heavy band often overpowered Grande.
    — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2017
  • Bradley tries to make his move and stab her, but Linda is able to overpower him.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
  • The Avalanche have lived up to their overpowering name.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 May 2026
  • Lots of onions and the herbs are noticeable but don’t overpower.
    — Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2021
  • The urge to run is overpowering.
    — Joe Baur, Outside, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Finish a whiskey for too long and the wood might overpower it, too short and the meaning is lost.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2022
  • Then came the chewy sweetness of the date (but not overpowering).
    — Shafaq Patel, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Certain colors like black or red can overpower or clash.
    — Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 10 May 2026
  • The sweet and salty glaze is not meant to overpower the protein, whether chicken, fish or beef.
    — Marc Bona, cleveland.com, 10 Jan. 2018
  • The smoke flavor is rich and present, but not overpowering.
    — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
  • One thing Smith’s gas couldn’t overpower was the film’s success.
    — Angel Saunders, People.com, 3 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overpower.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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