Verb

To engulf, surge over and submerge.

The dinghy was overwhelmed by the great wave.

To overpower, crush.

In December 1939 the Soviet Union attacked Finland with overwhelming force.

* Bible, Psalms lxxviii. 53

The sea overwhelmed their enemies.

To overpower emotionally.

He was overwhelmed with guilt.

Joy overwhelmed her when she realized that she had won a million dollars.

To cause to surround, to cover.

(Papin)

Verb

(transitive)

To defeat an enemy and invade in great numbers, seizing his positions conclusively.

To infest, swarm over, flow over.

The vine overran''' its trellis; the field is '''overrun with weeds.

* Spenser

those barbarous nations that overran the world

* {{quote-news, year=2012, date=November 7, author=Matt Bai, title=Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds, work=New York Times citation

, passage=As President Obama turns his attention once again to filling out a cabinet and writing an Inaugural Address, this much is clear: he should not expect to bask in a surge of national unity, or to witness a crowd of millions overrun the Mall just to say they were there.}}

To run past; to run beyond.

The athlete overran the finish line and kept going.

One line overruns another in length.

* Bible, 2. Sam. xviii. 23

Ahimaaz run by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.

To continue for too long.

The performance overran by ten minutes, which caused some people to miss their bus home.

(printing) To carry (some type, a line or column, etc.) backward or forward into an adjacent line or page.

To go beyond; to extend in part beyond.

In machinery, a sliding piece is said to overrun its bearing when its forward end goes beyond it.

To abuse or oppress, as if by treading upon.

* Spenser

None of them the feeble overran .