overthrow
Americanverb (used with object)
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overthrows,
present (3rd person singular)
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overthrew,
past
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overthrown,
past participle
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overthrowing
present participle
-
to depose, as from a position of power; overcome, defeat, or vanquish.
to overthrow a tyrant.
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to put an end to by force, as a government or institution.
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to throw or knock down; overturn; topple.
The heavy winds overthrew numerous telephone poles and trees.
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to knock down and demolish.
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to throw (something) too far.
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Baseball. (of a pitcher) to throw too hard, often affecting control or straining the arm.
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Archaic. to destroy the sound condition of (the mind).
verb (used without object)
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overthrows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overthrew,
past
-
overthrown,
past participle
-
overthrowing
present participle
noun
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overthrows
plural
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the act of overthrowing; state or condition of being overthrown.
-
deposition from power.
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defeat; destruction; ruin.
- Synonyms:
- fall
verb
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(tr) to effect the downfall or destruction of (a ruler, institution, etc), esp by force
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(tr) to throw or turn over
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(tr) to throw (something, esp a ball) too far
noun
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an act of overthrowing
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downfall; destruction
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cricket
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a ball thrown back too far by a fielder
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a run scored because of this
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overthrowsimple
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overthrowssimple
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have overthrownperfect
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has overthrownperfect
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am overthrowingprogressive
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are overthrowingprogressive
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is overthrowingprogressive
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have been overthrowingperfect progressive
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has been overthrowingperfect progressive
Past
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overthrewsimple
-
had overthrownperfect
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was overthrowingprogressive
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were overthrowingprogressive
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had been overthrowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overthrow
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at over-, throw
Explanation
When you overthrow a ruler or a regime, you throw them out, usually by force. If you're a rebel you may plan to overthrow the current government and install a new regime. You can also use overthrow as a noun. You might plot to overthrow the parking ticket authority so that you won't have to pay your tickets. There are also more literal uses of the word. In baseball, football, and other games that involve throwing a ball, you overthrow when you throw the ball past the person you're aiming for. You can say "the pitcher overthrew the ball to the first baseman," or "the pitcher overthrew the first baseman."
Vocabulary lists containing overthrow
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"Death, be not proud" by John Donne
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Human rights group Amnesty International says prosecutors falsely alleged that the Gezi park protests were an attempt to overthrow the government.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Then there’s the fact that Nicaraguan migrants in the United States are a smaller and less powerful force than Cuban Americans, many of whom have lobbied Washington for decades to isolate and overthrow Havana’s leaders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Neighbouring Turkey is a key supporter of Syria's new authorities, while Israel has carried out repeated incursions and bombings in the country since Assad's overthrow.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
The mufti conspired with Iraqi soldiers to overthrow the pro-British Prince Regent Abd al-Ilah of Hejaz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
I remember reading a passage in a book dealing with old Russia which said: “We must be ready to make endless sacrifices if we are to be able to overthrow the Czar.”
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have now uncovered a key reason behind these coordinated overthrows and how they unfold so precisely.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 22, 2025
India had lost their past four semi-finals in World Cups and they conceded 30 extras, twice gifted four overthrows and Shami dropped a simple chance to remove Williamson on 52.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2023
Dobbs threw for two touchdowns in his fifth start for the injured Kyler Murray, but had two interceptions on overthrows and lost a fumble that set up a Bengals’ fourth-quarter field goal.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 9, 2023
The study, published on Thursday in Science, overthrows decades of thinking about when humans arrived in North America.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 5, 2023
An over-goaded ox rushes bewildered round a corner, charges and overthrows the foremost coffin; it is broken, and the body is exposed—its white shroud flaps upon the mud.
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. V, October, 1850, Volume I. by
Nor are streets, schools or government buildings named after him, a prohibition he imposed shortly after his guerrillas overthrew Fulgencio Batista in 1959.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Apple finally overthrew Nvidia to reclaim the title of the world’s largest company by market capitalization, underscoring the dramatic degree to which the iPhone maker’s stock is clobbering the broader technology universe.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
But history is complicated, and a significant chunk of that population is fiercely opposed to the regime of the Islamic republic, which overthrew the Shah in 1979.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
“He had the ability if he was developed and stayed healthy. I think he probably overthrew and tore his rotator cuff and nobody knew it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
Che had served as a military adviser to Fidel Castro when Castro and his guerilla army overthrew Cuba’s former president, Fulgencio Batista, in the 1950s.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
"If they let their people interact with the outside world, they are highly likely to be overthrown, and maybe killed or driven into exile," he added.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
In November 1688 the absolutist and pro-Catholic king of England was overthrown.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
A 34-year-old resident of Sanandaj in western Iran said the intensity of the attacks had decreased and that in recent days he "realised the Islamic republic will not be overthrown in the way we imagined".
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
“I’m happy because the Ayatollah was overthrown, and for the freedom,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026
The whispers were fanciful and improbable: the youth of Soweto had overthrown the military and the soldiers had dropped their guns and fled.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
I watched a movie called “The International,” which focused on an Interpol investigation of a bank that primarily served groups intent on overthrowing existing governments.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
“Just not overthrowing the ball, not throwing as hard as I can but hitting the spots and having a feel for my off-speed pitches,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026
Many of the 100 or more other soldiers who participated were unaware they were overthrowing the government.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
People felt Jones was not mobile; he was not making great decisions; he was overthrowing guys.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2025
We could embarrass them, but overthrowing them as a result of the Defiance Campaign was impossible.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
