as in overwhelmed
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
the news so whelmed them that they were stunned into silence
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whelmed
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war.
—
Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2025
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 21 Aug. 2025
Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2025
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whelmed
Verb
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The offensive line has made progress since they were overwhelmed by Miami's front seven in Week 1, but the unit will be without a key member for the next few games.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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That’s according to data conducted by The Harris Poll for Nift, a double-sided marketplace that allows companies to incentivize consumers with gift cards, shows that more than 60 percent of consumers are overwhelmed by the number of ads brands and retailers present to them.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Residents of Kingston, Jamaica, were already dealing with floodwaters on Friday, as concerns are growing that the impact could be the worst since Hurricane Gilbert devastated the island in 1988.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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This happened when Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last year.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whelmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whelmed. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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