steamroller
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to crush or flatten with a steamroller.
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to overcome with superior force.
to steamroller the competition.
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to bring about the adoption of by overwhelming pressure.
to steamroller the resolution through.
verb (used without object)
adjective
noun
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a steam-powered vehicle with heavy rollers at the front and rear used for compressing road surfaces during road-making
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another word for roadroller
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an overpowering force or a person with such force that overcomes all opposition
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( as modifier )
steamroller tactics
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verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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steamrollersimple
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steamrollerssimple
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have steamrolleredperfect
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has steamrolleredperfect
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am steamrolleringprogressive
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are steamrolleringprogressive
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is steamrolleringprogressive
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have been steamrolleringperfect progressive
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has been steamrolleringperfect progressive
Past
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steamrolleredsimple
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had steamrolleredperfect
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was steamrolleringprogressive
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were steamrolleringprogressive
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had been steamrolleringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of steamroller
Explanation
One of the large vehicles you might see on a construction site or road crew is a steamroller, which uses a large, heavy cylinder to smooth the surface of a road or other paved area. Be sure to stay out of its way! Many people use the word steamroller to mean "road roller," although strictly speaking that's incorrect, since these modern vehicles aren't powered by a steam engine. A true steamroller had a smokebox and chimney, and the steam it produced enabled it to move forward as it rolled and compressed the surface below. Used figuratively, steamroller means something or someone that moves forward relentlessly, without regard for anyone who happens to be in the way.
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:
And the Balkan Five have gone from niche college hoops phenomenon to March Madness steamroller.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
"It's been the steamroller all season. That's the one thing you could take to the bank," said Davis.
From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026
Samoa and Australia also succumbed to the steamroller.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2025
Awards season steamroller “ Oppenheimer ” is among the nominees for the PGA’s top award to be handed out later Sunday night.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2024
The small personal satisfaction he felt came from his having passed one of the most grueling tests of his career by showing the courage “to ‘stand up in meeting’ and say ‘No’ to a steamroller.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
There’s some nostalgia involved, sure, tied up with memories of dancing with your goth girlfriends at New Wave Dance Night, but all three of those songs on a random Friday in Ohio were total steamrollers.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2025
They were respected in the way that steamrollers are.
From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2021
COVID-19 has also stopped the steamrollers state officials thought would be in high gear by now after approving Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital improvement plan last spring.
From Washington Times ● May 22, 2020
In fact, our charter has very much in mind keeping majorities from turning into steamrollers.
From Fox News ● Feb. 18, 2019
Earlier, South Africa's Sunshine Tour quickly proclaimed "Schwartzel steamrollers opposition to win Masters" on its website and said Schwartzel "pulled off an extraordinary victory in one of the most thrilling Masters ever."
From The Guardian ● Apr. 11, 2011
But the match flipped from the start of the second set as the home favourite steamrollered past Paul to win nine successive games, and the American could not recover.
From BBC ● May 16, 2025
And believe me, I should have known better than to get steamrollered into a bad trade.
From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2024
MacMichael steamrollered his opponents with a clear, concise argument.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2023
Her albums were steamrollered outside of her label’s offices in Rockefeller Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2023
However much Jack wants to believe that Terry’s fine and dandy with this plan, Molly knows that he steamrollered her into it.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
They have got the opportunity to rest several players here but I don't think they will, and I can see them steamrollering over Argentina in the same way.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2023
The stretch includes a second-half steamrollering of ASU in the middle of last season that gave Utah control of the South division.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2022
In the early decade of the next century, it became synonymous with a certain eccentric rule-breaking: cheerfully steamrollering old distinctions between night and day dressing, haute and street, on-duty and off, to great acclaim.
From New York Times ● May 4, 2020
But Fury has been imagining that steamrollering right hand, planning for it, digging into his own obsession.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 1, 2018
This vision of capitalism’s demise is slightly puzzling, given that in his account, capitalism seems to be steamrollering everything in its path.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 13, 2018
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.
