OVERPOWER Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

overpower

verb

ˌō-vər-ˈpau̇(-ə)r

Definition of overpower

as in to subdue

to bring under one's control by force of arms the invading army overpowered the countryside with lightning speed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to overwhelm

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 overpower It’s bottled at a high 63 percent ABV, but the heat is controlled and never overpowering. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026 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 Badly injured, Captain Machchhar somehow opened the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overpower al-Hammami, and two off-duty pilots to take control of the plane and land it in Saudi Arabia. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 10 Oct. 2026 According to the Army, this approach differs from older electronic warfare methods that primarily attempt to overpower hostile communications with electromagnetic energy. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overpower

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overpower

Verb

Having asserted their power, voters proved difficult to subdue again.

— Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Police said officers used a less-lethal weapon to subdue Sims and take him into custody.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of subdue

Verb

The president left office above water on the economy, with 48% approving and 41% disapproving — high numbers for a president whose last year was overwhelmed by the Covid pandemic.

— Steve Liesman, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Economic recovery, the official argued, must accompany political reform to prevent a future democratic government from being overwhelmed by debt, failing infrastructure, shortages, inflation and insecurity.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of overwhelm

Verb

Vucic dominated Serbian politics since becoming president of the Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, in 2012, then becoming prime minister in 2014, then switching over to president in 2017.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Club name Meta Platforms , as well as SpaceX and Anthropic, are dominating the headlines on Monday with plans to raise their share of the shrinking capital pie for the next legs of their AI ambitions.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of dominate

Verb

Experts who are part of consultations expect the new policy to lay down clear and consistent rules, which will also help the industry overcome challenges around land acquisition and simplify a fragmented approval process.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
The song addresses overcoming adversity and using others’ doubts to fuel your passion.

— Melinda Newman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

Experts who study plague are reluctant to say it’s been completely conquered.

— Faye Flam, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
Eleven country-pop songs behind a cover with a distinctly 2000s aesthetic, from a Pennsylvania girl with her sights set on conquering Nashville.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of conquer

Verb

For two years, the war in Gaza devastated the Palestinian enclave, killed tens of thousands of people, and left Israeli hostages languishing in captivity.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
The rain is raising concerns in Altadena once again for families devastated by the Eaton Fire.

— Jasmine Viel, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of devastate

Verb

The predominant method entails producers sealing off the vents, which causes temperatures to rise and slowly subject the birds to death via heatstroke.

— Kenny Torrella, Vox, 20 Oct. 2026
The company then needs to incorporate that hardware into a complete Neutron first stage, and then subject that stage to a battery of tests.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of subject

Verb

This was the sixth year in a row that the Yankees failed to defeat a higher-seeded playoff opponent.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Although supporters say the fear that billionaires will flee the state are overblown, the ultrawealthy have made moves to potentially avoid paying the tax or are funding campaigns to defeat it.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeat

Browse Nearby Words

overpluses

overpower

overpowered

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“Overpower.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overpower. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of overpower

verb

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