as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
the news so whelmed them that they were stunned into silence
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Recent Examples of whelm
Of all the underwhelming parts of this underwhelming finale of an underwhelming season, the final immunity challenge did not leave me whelmed.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 Dec. 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, 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
You’ll definitely be whelmed by the legit chemistry between Kat and Patrick, rebel teens who steal the show with their sweetness and dazzling wits.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 12 May 2023
Its reputation is built on the backs of 3-series gone by, as this is the first ever 3 to merely whelm us.
—Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, 26 July 2017
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 Dec. 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, 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
You’ll definitely be whelmed by the legit chemistry between Kat and Patrick, rebel teens who steal the show with their sweetness and dazzling wits.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 12 May 2023
Its reputation is built on the backs of 3-series gone by, as this is the first ever 3 to merely whelm us.
—Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, 26 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whelm
Verb
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An abundance of candidates can overwhelm users and reduce the odds that an interaction turns into something meaningful.—
Charlotte Morabito,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
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LeClair explains that power surges damage appliances and electronic devices by overwhelming their internal electrical components with more voltage than they are designed to handle.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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How Disney’s founder, namesake, and first CEO overcame the crisis of his day may give D’Amaro a blueprint for his.—
Roland Betancourt,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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But even more inspiring was their determination to overcome enormous losses and difficulties to try to make new lives for themselves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Experts feared that Asian economies — which imported 90% of the oil traversing through the Strait of Hormuz before the war — could be devastated by a prolonged disruption to Gulf crude production.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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Other school committee members like Keegan are devastated by the current state of the budget.—
Kristina Rex,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whelm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whelm. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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