steamroller

[ steem-roh-ler ]

/ ˈstimˌroʊ lər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for steamroller on Thesaurus.com

noun

a heavy steam-powered vehicle having a roller for crushing, compacting, or leveling materials used for a road or the like.

(not in technical use) any similar vehicle with a roller.

an overpowering force, especially one that crushes all opposition with ruthless disregard for individual rights.

verb (used with object)

to crush or flatten with a steamroller.

to overcome with superior force: to steamroller the competition.

to bring about the adoption of by overwhelming pressure: to steamroller the resolution through.

verb (used without object)

to proceed with implacable force.

adjective

suggestive of a steamroller; ruthlessly overpowering: steamroller tactics.

QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of steamroller

First recorded in 1865–70; steam + roller¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use steamroller in a sentence

In 2006, the firm presided over a routine steam-injection procedure known as “well stimulation.”
The Fiery Underground Oil Pit Eating L.A.|Geoff Manaugh|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They're made to make a lot of money and to get teenagers in a kind of experience, a roller coaster ride.
‘The Babadook’ Is the Best (and Most Sincere) Horror Movie of the Year|Samuel Fragoso|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Parenting a kid that can get from place to place under his own steam is a whole new ballgame.
Kids Eat the Darndest Things: Laundry Pods, Teething Necklaces, and More Of The Weirdest Stuff Sending Kids to the E.R.|Russell Saunders|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But as one deadly malady loses steam, another may be exploding: hunger.
Liberia’s Ebola Famine|Abby Haglage, Nina Strochlic|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Either way, the Navy is proceeding full steam ahead in preparing the DDG-1000 for sea.
Can the Navy's $12 Billion Stealth Destroyer Stay Afloat?|Dave Majumdar|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A colossal steam "traveller" had ceaselessly carried great blocks of stone and long steel girders from point to point.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Two huge steam engines had snorted and puffed for three whole years.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Greenlaw (Charles P.), his efforts in obtaining steam for India, 560.
Notes and Queries, Index to Eighth Volume, July-December 1853|Various
The steamboat of 1809 and the steam locomotive of 1830 were the direct result of what had gone before.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
The Comet started on her first trip up the Arkansas, being the first steam boat that ascended that river.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell

British Dictionary definitions for steamroller

steamroller

steam roller

/ (ˈstiːmˌrəʊlə) /

noun

a steam-powered vehicle with heavy rollers at the front and rear used for compressing road surfaces during road-making
another word for roadroller

an overpowering force or a person with such force that overcomes all opposition
(as modifier)steamroller tactics

verb

(tr) to crush (opposition, etc) by overpowering force

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

steamroller

Origin of steamroller

Words related to steamroller

How to use steamroller in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for steamroller

steam roller