overcome
verb
over·come
ˌō-vər-ˈkəm 
overcame
ˌō-vər-ˈkām
; overcome; overcoming
; overcome; overcoming
1
: to get the better of : surmount
overcome difficulties
They overcame the enemy.
2
: overwhelm
were overcome by the heat and smoke
: to gain the superiority : win
strong in the faith that truth would overcome
Synonyms
Examples of overcome in a Sentence
After a tough battle, they overcame the enemy.
a story about overcoming adversity
She overcame a leg injury and is back running again.
Recent Examples on the Web
The last team to overcome a 31-point lead in the playoffs was the Clippers in 2019 against the Golden State Warriors.
—
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2024
Then, as his speech approached its climax, Harris reached for a glass of water, pivoted and collapsed in a heap on the floor, overcome by emotion and exhaustion.
—Jeff Maysh, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Apr. 2024
Adrenaline is one of the products of that, but at a certain moment it is overcome by a more powerful frozen horror.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
To overcome this, focus on building a solid prototype and collecting compelling data to demonstrate market demand.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2024
With Wednesday’s upset win, the Heat avoided a situation that not many NBA teams have overcome.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
By the end, though, the voice of the announcer seemed overcome by what sounded a little like awe.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
At the event, the Daytime Emmy Award winner opened up about overcoming past issues with her former 3LW member, and how the women are now in a positive place with one another.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Advertisement After nearly seven years of overcoming bureaucratic and pandemic hurdles, the project is finished.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2024
Then, as his speech approached its climax, Harris reached for a glass of water, pivoted and collapsed in a heap on the floor, overcome by emotion and exhaustion.
—Jeff Maysh, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Apr. 2024
Adrenaline is one of the products of that, but at a certain moment it is overcome by a more powerful frozen horror.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
To overcome this, focus on building a solid prototype and collecting compelling data to demonstrate market demand.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2024
With Wednesday’s upset win, the Heat avoided a situation that not many NBA teams have overcome.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
By the end, though, the voice of the announcer seemed overcome by what sounded a little like awe.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
At the event, the Daytime Emmy Award winner opened up about overcoming past issues with her former 3LW member, and how the women are now in a positive place with one another.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Advertisement After nearly seven years of overcoming bureaucratic and pandemic hurdles, the project is finished.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overcome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overcome
Cite this Entry
“Overcome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overcome. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overcome
verb
over·come
ˌō-vər-ˈkəm
overcame
-ˈkām
; overcome; overcoming
; overcome; overcoming
1
: to gain an advantage or victory over
overcome an enemy
2
: to make helpless or exhausted
was overcome by gas
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