to overcome completely in mind or feeling: overwhelmed by remorse.
to overpower or overcome, especially with superior forces; destroy; crush: Roman troops were overwhelmed by barbarians.
to cover or bury beneath a mass of something, as floodwaters, debris, or an avalanche; submerge: Lava from erupting Vesuvius overwhelmed the city of Pompeii.
to load, heap, treat, or address with an overpowering or excessive amount of anything: a child overwhelmed with presents; to overwhelm someone with questions.
to overthrow.
Origin of overwhelm
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at over-, whelm
This could help groups deal with those whose behavior is often flagged, but it could also overwhelm groups with a large number of users.
Facebook tries to clean up Groups with new policies|Sarah Perez|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
The uptick in mail votes threatens to overwhelm the cash-strapped Postal Service, which recently warned that some state absentee ballot deadlines may not allow for enough time for ballots to be delivered and counted.
ProPublica’s Pandemic Guide to Making Sure Your Vote Counts|by Susie Armitage|September 16, 2020|ProPublica
Two years ago, the left badly underestimated what it would take to beat Carper, as a surge of suburban turnout overwhelmed Harris's 29,406 votes — thousands more than her campaign thought she needed.
The Trailer: The First State goes last|David Weigel|September 15, 2020|Washington Post
As outbreaks overwhelmed hospitals in April, pressure from local public officials grew, leading to the rapid-fire closures of some of the nation’s largest slaughterhouses.
Emails Show the Meatpacking Industry Drafted an Executive Order to Keep Plants Open|by Michael Grabell and Bernice Yeung|September 14, 2020|ProPublica
Once they make their way in, these hues, with their longer wavelengths, overwhelm the sky.
How raging wildfires create a hellish red sky|Sara Kiley Watson|September 10, 2020|Popular Science
He used his strength to overwhelm defenders but he also had nifty footwork, soft hands, and was a beautiful passer.
Shaq, Year One|Charles P. Pierce|May 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Everywhere around you and inside you are possibilities you must always keep open, yet never let overwhelm you.
Big Business Bullies Americans into the Machinery of Common Core|James Poulos|March 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like all barbiturates, it can overwhelm alertness to the point of stopping the urge to breathe.
The Death Penalty’s Gruesome Truth|Kent Sepkowitz|February 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the negative side, the sheer tonnage of opinions can overwhelm and cause a degree of amnesia.
The Best Columns of the Year|John Avlon|December 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
You reach a point where your frustrations just overwhelm and things have to change.
The Filibuster Fight Ain’t Over|Ben Jacobs|November 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It will overwhelm me as utterly as if this arch should crumble down upon our heads!
The Marble Faun, Volume I.|Nathaniel Hawthorne
A lesser will or a lower grade of personality cannot overwhelm a greater one.
The Leader|William Fitzgerald Jenkins (AKA Murray Leinster)
They overwhelm her with attentions and show great interest in her slightest word.
Fromont and Risler, Complete|Alphonse Daudet
We were greeted from the Fort in the same way, and its inhabitants ran out to meet us and overwhelm us with congratulations.
The Backwoodsman|Various
And yet the hierarchy managed to maintain its assumptions and to overwhelm all remedial attempts.
Luther and the Reformation:|Joseph A. Seiss
British Dictionary definitions for overwhelm
overwhelm
/ (ˌəʊvəˈwɛlm) /
verb(tr)
to overpower the thoughts, emotions, or senses of
to overcome with irresistible force
to overcome, as with a profusion or concentration of something