Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb overwhelm

4 senses of overwhelm

Sense 1
overwhelm, overpower, sweep over, whelm, overcome, overtake -- (overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli)
       => arouse, elicit, enkindle, kindle, evoke, fire, raise, provoke -- (call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses); "arouse pity"; "raise a smile"; "evoke sympathy")

Sense 2
overwhelm, deluge, flood out -- (charge someone with too many tasks)
       => charge, saddle, burden -- (impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to; "He charged her with cleaning up all the files over the weekend")

Sense 3
submerge, drown, overwhelm -- (cover completely or make imperceptible; "I was drowned in work"; "The noise drowned out her speech")
       => cover, spread over -- (form a cover over; "The grass covered the grave")

Sense 4
overpower, overmaster, overwhelm -- (overcome by superior force)
       => beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish -- (come out better in a competition, race, or conflict; "Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship"; "We beat the competition"; "Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game")